See No Evil
by LadyKitsuneHavoc
Summary: Legolas has been cursed to never see again, unless it is to see something evil. Without the use of his eyes, how will he ever help the fellowship on their quest? In him Sauron unwittingly created a creature that walks in the gray, between the land of the living and the land of the Wraiths. With his fate tied to the Ring and his past haunting him, Legolas' life hangs by a thread.
1. The Blind Elf

**This story is based off of a dark secret that Legolas has. Of course, Aragorn knows, and Legolas is determined to help the Fellowship on its quest. Things get quite interesting to say the least as we follow the fellowship on their quest. But some secrets haunt us more than most.**

**This story was inspired by weepingangel9578's story Speak No Evil. But only loosely. I really like that story, so I recommend you go check it out! This story is written as a sort of companion story to Speak no Evil, with the idea that some how Legolas lost his sight instead. I'm not as good with the elven language, but I hope the story will be a good read none the less. I am learning. And this will also be a challenging story for me.**

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Legolas could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on him as he entered late. The dinner at Lord Elrond's house was already full to the breaking point, but there had been a vacant chair for him. Silently he entered the room and nodded to Aragorn. The Ranger sat in the corner, leaning against the wall. He nodded in return but also said nothing. The Prince of Mirkwood crossed the room and sat down in his chair, turning his eyes to Lord Elrond. The half elf leaned closer to the younger elf, looking at him closely a moment, before addressing him.

"Legolas Thranduilion," Elrond said. "It's good for you to finally join us." (Son of Thranduil)

"My apologies," Legolas said, smiling at him. "It has been a long time since I was in your house last. I seem to have gotten lost within the halls." Elrond frowned a little at the words but said nothing. He continued speaking.

"Very well," he said. "You know of course of the twins, Elladan and Elrohir, my daughter Arwen, and of course Estel." he motioned to his sons, then his daughter, then his foster son Aragorn. Legolas turned his head and eyes to each in turn and nodded his head. "We also have a few foreign guests. Gloin, whom you have met before, and his son Gimli. There are others here, though, you must forgive me for not introducing all of you. Then of course there is Boromir of Gondor, and Gandalf. You know him I think? Yes. Then there are halflings here as well, Merry and Pippin as they prefer to be called, Sam, and Frodo son of Drogo. And Bilbo I am sure you are familiar with." The elf smiled, a very bright and cheerful face.

"Yes I remember Bilbo," he said. "It has been many years has it not?"

"Many indeed," the hobbit replied with a smile in return. Gloin and Gimli both however, did not seem amused.

"I remember you elf," Gloin grumbled. "And the dungeons of your father."

"Come now," Elrond said, a little annoyed. "You cannot forgive that? Forget the past, you both fought in the Battle of the Five Armies did you not?"

"Yes," Gimli growled, "But we do not forgive easily. Not when his people were so cruel to ours."

The situation at the table seemed to be growing more and more tensed. It made Legolas wince a little, because he could definitely sense it in the air. He could hear the anger growing even in the slightly shifting breath of both Elrond and the dwarves. The hobbits shifted anxiously in their seats, and Gandalf sighed. The Gondorian Boromir seemed bored by this whole situation. And Legolas heard as Aragorn suddenly stood off of the wall, as if he were ready to leap forward.

In reality he probably was. His eyes were trained on Legolas, who had frozen up suddenly. The twins and Arwen glanced towards their foster brother but said nothing. However, all eyes were on either Elrond or the dwarves. At last, Gandalf sighed.

"This is not the time or place for this," the wizard said. "Come now, all of us must relax and enjoy the time we have before the storm breaks over us. There's no need for this."

There was silence a few moments, then at last the dwarves turned back to their plates. Elrond watched them a moment, then turned to look at Legolas. He froze a moment, seeing how pale the elf was. But the Prince had long been good at hiding his condition. Pale though he was, he attempted a smile, which seemed more like a somewhat pained grimace. Frodo, who was a rather perceptive young hobbit turned and saw this as well and paused.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You don't look so good."

"I will be fine," he replied, lying smoothly and easily. "I think I am tired."

"Perhaps it would be better if you removed yourself," Elrond said gently but pointedly. The woodland elf nodded and stood.

"Most likely," he replied. "I seem to have caused some disturbance at your table Lord Elrond, and for that I apologize. I will return later once there is less chance of my presence sparking an argument. If you will all excuse me."

Perfectly polite, the elf stood and with a carefully regal step he turned and left the room once again. For a few moments, those at the table watched the elf go. But then they turned away from the door to return to the conversation at the table, the peculiarities of a single elf seeming insignificant next to the problems at hand, namely the Lord of Mordor. For a moment, Aragorn was silent, and then he turned and followed the elf out, unseen by the eyes within.

He stayed a few paces behind the elf, watching him make his careful way within the halls. For the most part, the elf walked with confidence, but the man could see that every now and then he would falter in his step, or pause and look around uncertainly. He of course knew why, as did the rest of his foster family. But others did not. No one else knew the secret that the Prince of Mirkwood carried. Would Gloin think so badly of him then?

Aragorn's boot scuffed the ground lightly as he was lost in his thoughts a moment. It was a very quiet sound, because he had been raised by elves and his step was also light. It was loud enough though that the elf in front of him froze suddenly. Aragorn didn't move another step, afraid of spooking the elf. He was easily spooked, though he tried to hide it.

"Who's there?" the elf growled. It was a very aggressive sound, but one that Aragorn knew was well warranted.

"It is only me," the man replied. The elf relaxed, though he frowned in his direction.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," he said.

"I did not mean to," Aragorn said, a touch of guilt entering his voice.

The elf turned to face him, studying him for a moment. His eyes also turned towards him, but Aragorn could see that his eyes never quite reached his. He never really looked at him. Though the elf's hearing was bolstered past the levels that was normal, and the man's breathing was enough to give away his position, he could never really aim direct enough to meet the eyes of the person he was addressing. Few people could notice this though. Aragorn knew the reason why though well. The elf before him was blind.

Obviously, he had not always been blind. He had once had his eyes, but he had lost them. It was an accident. Most people were sure of that, because Sauron had yet to realize the creature he had created, and a very strange creature at that. The man became sad a little once he realized that the elf should have died, and it might have been less torture on him to have died then. But as of now, the elf Prince remained a secret from all, though his existence was cursed as well.

"I am here," the man told the elf quietly. "You know me. I am here."

The words seemed to have a great effect on the elf, and he calmed greatly. Aragorn couldn't help but frown a little. He knew that with his new condition of his, many of his friends had feared him. Thruanduil still loved his son greatly though, and couldn't bear to lose him. He tried his best to protect and show love to his son, but there was little he or anyone else could do for him. So, unable to bear seeing his son's fear and despair at what he had seen, he had sent him to Rivendell to speak for Mirkwood. Even letting him go on a perilous quest like this, and most likely die along the way, would be better than to let his son endure the torture any longer.

As it was, Aragorn knew that the thoughts haunted him now. The elf looked down suddenly. He had strength. If he hadn't, then he would never have survived. But the despair would often get the better of him. He was a creature of light, and he was trapped within the darkness. He was lonely and afraid. So Aragorn did not forsake him as the Prince walked back to him. He pulled the golden haired elf into an embrace.

"I am here," he repeated.

"Estel," the elf said, using the elven name that Aragorn had been given when he was taken in by his foster family. "I can hear them*. Their voices. They still call to me, like they did that day. I hear them tell me to run, but there is no where to run. The darkness is all around me. I fear it."

"I know Legolas," Aragorn said as gently and as soothingly as he could, though he knew that it could do little to help the elf. "I know. It has been many years. Can you still not let it go?"

"For a man that span may seem long," Legolas said with a slight whimper in his voice. "But for an elf it was only yesterday."

"I know," Aragorn said with a frown. "It was hard on you wasn't it? There was four of you there that day. One died. Two disappeared. And you..."

He didn't complete his sentence. He didn't have to, and he didn't want to distress the elf further with the memories of it. Legolas was on the verge of breaking into tears. The Ranger knew that it was horrible for him. He had lost his light, the one thing that elves held dear above all else. And the toll that it took on him was very visible now that he was no longer trying to hide it. He trembled, deathly pale, and cold to the touch. It was no wonder though. Since the day, he had been hovering somewhere between the realm of the living, and the realm of the wraiths.

"I hear him** too," the elf suddenly continued. "Within my dreams. His black speech is terrible! Always giving orders, claiming lives. He is so full of darkness! I would rather die than endure this any longer. It causes me pain, and I know that if this continues he will claim me!"

"No you must not say that," Aragorn cried, distress obviously in his voice. "You must not give up! We could not stand to lose you."

"And if I go on this quest, what then?" Legolas asked. "He already haunts my dreams Estel."

The Ranger sadly looked at the elf. Legolas had always been strong of heart and of mind. To see him in such a state made his heart ache. And yet he knew that with so much evil in the world now, he had little chance to surviving.

"Your fate is tied to that of the Ring," Aragorn said. "If it is not destroyed then you will be cursed to walk the earth forever, a Wraith. If you were to die, then at least your suffering should end. The darkness tortures you. I can see that it is so. It pains you, because elves are creatures of light. Once you lose that light you will be gone from us. Forever. I could not stand that. You must endure it. Please Legolas."

"And if the Ring is destroyed?" Legolas asked, a tremble in his voice. "Will I be cursed forever to walk as I am? A pitiful and tortured creature?"

"There is a chance, a small chance," Aragorn said. "that this curse may be lifted from you. Isn't a small chance better than none at all?"

The elf only frowned and did not respond. But Aragorn knew him well enough to know that he agreed. A small chance was better than none. But the elf's light was fading alarmingly fast. His courage was failing him. And soon he would be lost. Aragorn could only hope that the elf's determination would come in again, the same determination that saved him from death on that day. Aragorn couldn't deny that there was little hope for the elf. But he couldn't abandon him either.

"No one faults you for this burden of yours," Aragorn said quietly. The elf managed a small smile, a very sad and broken smile, but a smile none the less.

"I wish it were so," Legolas said. "but they do fault me for it. Still, I will think on what you said and continue to walk as I have these past years. One step at a time."

For a moment the man watched the elf, frowning to himself as he looked him over. He was still very pale, and he looked a little shaky.

"What happened at the table?" he asked, though he felt sure he knew the answer.

"Ah, nothing," the elf replied. "I was just...unprepared to have the memories of those times brought back to my attention. I had not forgotten, but I had pushed them out of my mind for the time being."

"You should rest," Aragorn said, sorry to have wounded the elf more.

"Y-yes," Legolas said. "I think I will do that. Though, I would not mind company. The night is long."

Aragorn understood at once what he had meant, and nodded though he knew the elf wouldn't see the motion. Legolas' nightmares had plagued him for many years, and he had suffered them silently and without complaint. He had suffered much without complaint. But the elf often rested easier when someone else was near.

"I will come with you," he replied.

The elf didn't reply, as if he hadn't heard him. Instead, he turned and walked away down the hallway, faltering every now in then in his step as if with a fear of falling. The loss of his eyesight was still hard on him. But without his eyes he was no less dangerous or accurate. For this reason alone was Aragorn willing to let his friend join them on their quest. If the elf died he would miss him terribly, but he would not begrudge him leaving them. He had suffered enough. Slowly the man followed the elf down the hallway to where, hopefully, the elf could relax enough to sleep.

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*** They are the elves that were with Legolas on the day of the "event"**

**** He is Sauron**

**Sorry about this chapter. I didn't really explain much of anything did I? In chapter two I will explain much more of the story line, and how Legolas lost his eyes and now walks somewhere between life and death. I hope you'll stay tuned and continue to read. The story of how he lost his eyes is a little far fetched maybe, but hopefully still believable. **


	2. The Wraith Elf

**Here we go with chapter two of See No Evil. I hope you will enjoy reading the story so far, though I know some parts will get a little far fetched. In this chapter I will explain what happened on that day and how all of this came to be. It may be a little confusing at first, but it will be very important to the story line of this fan fiction. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Also, I'm not nearly as good as weepingangel9578 in this story, but I hope that this story will be good either way. It's a very interesting story to write at least. And I definitely recommend that you go check out her story if you haven't already.**

**Also, the three elves in the story are named after other elves found in Tolkien's works. They are not the original elves, so please don't get them confused. They are simply named after them because 1: I lack creativity and knowledge in the elvish language to create my own and 2: because I thought the stories behind them were interesting and could fit well in this story as well.**

**This story is based off of Speak No Evil, though the author is not affiliated with it in any way. This is just a story written as a companion in the same idea, so I hope you enjoy anyway. In a way it's a companion story, but obviously if you have read both, they are not written very similar at all.**

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**Shout outs!**

**Favorites:**

**This Star Won't Go Out (OMG thanks for the favorite! :O I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!)**

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Legolas twitched a little in his sleep, and the man at his side couldn't help but glance down at him again. The elf's back was turned to the door, so that no one would see the look of horror etched across his features. He was silent, and did not moan or scream. He had long gotten used to enduring the nightmares that dwelt in his sleeping and waking thoughts, even through the elves' strange way of sleeping in a realm of more memories than dreams. His eyes had been open earlier, but now they were screwed shut. In fact, unless someone walked over and saw the elf's face, besides the periodic shudders and twitches, no one could tell that he wasn't sleeping soundly.

Aragorn subconsciously reached down and laid his hand on the sleeping elf's shoulder. He was sure the elf hadn't even registered the touch. It was too quick and gentle, and he was too deeply trapped within his nightmares. Aragorn sighed. It was in the middle of the night, and the moon was full. It was beautiful, blazing brightly overhead. But the elf could not see the comforting light, nor would he be able to register its beauty. It was all darkness for him.

Legolas' dream now was a familiar one, a memory that he would never forget. The conversation earlier at the table had brought the thought to his mind, for it had happened not long after the dwarves had left to return to their homes. Now, the memories haunted him again with vivid detail.

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"_**Come," Legolas cried over his shoulder. "We should go. I do not want to be in this place longer than I have to. The woods are dangerous at night."**_

_**The Prince of Greenwood was a very handsome elf, whose father was Sindarin and whose mother was Silvan. The two lines rarely crossed, and seeing a creature from both was rare. Still, he more resembled his father, who was taller, fairer of skin, and more regal than the generally darker haired Silvan elves that lived in these forests. His mother though had been a very pretty elf, and sturdy in body. The resulting child was both strong, cunning, agile, and full of courage. One day he would take over for his father and rule these lands that men now called Mirkwood. For now though, he was simply a guard, and he commanded all those under him. The wood elves looked up to him, for he was both fair and kind of heart.**_

_**Today he had led a small group of soldiers into the dangerous trees. It was no wonder he was eager to return to the safety of the city. Orcs ran unchecked throughout these lands and a breed of giant spider continued to make nests and attack travelers and residents alike. Still, Legolas was not one to overlook his duty to his father, so here he was.**_

_**The Prince paused on a large boulder, overlooking the trees. He frowned to himself as not a single creature stirred. He remembered when these trees had used to be beautiful and full of light, though only barely from his childhood. They had been called Greenwood then by all. But then a shadow had fallen over it, and the trees had grown more and more dangerous. Now the men they traded with called it Mirkwood. **_

_**Even the dwarves which his people were not overly friendly with to say the least, had referred to the trees as Mirkwood, and the people dangerous. He assumed that this was the case though, because the dangers within their borders had made them become so. Those dwarves that had traveled to Erebor, though their numbers were much smaller now, had also spoke of the perils within the trees. For the first time it had truly bothered the elven Prince. Now he seemed to have realized just how much his home had changed. And it made him nervous.**_

"_**What shadow stalks these woods?" he asked himself quietly aloud.**_

"_**Greenleaf," a voice called from behind him. "What are we looking for anyway so deep in the woods?"**_

_**Legolas turned at the translation of his name into the common tongue. The elf had dark black hair and green eyes, and he was named Angrod after the lord of the Noldor, though he bore no resemblance to the high elf. Behind him also were two others, Oropher, after the elf that was Legolas' grandfather whom he had never met, for he had been slain in the battle to destroy Sauron, and Saeros, a rather unfortunate elf to be named after, though the young elf also did not resemble the elf he had been named after. Perhaps his mother had wanted to bring a good respect to the name at last. And why the other was named Oropher was confusing to Legolas as well, though perhaps his mother had wanted to have a son as great as him. Either way, Legolas knew the three of them like they were brothers, though he was definitely not related to the tree Silvan elves. Oropher had dark red hair and green eyes, and Saeros had dark brown hair and green eyes.**_

_**Legolas' eyes on the other hand were a silver blue color, very distinctive among the ranks of the elves he served over. He looked over the three elves a moment, seeming to be lost in his thoughts. Then however he sighed and looked forward again.**_

"_**Gandalf told a disturbing tale," he said. "of darkness gathering nearby. He said that Dol Guldur is now infested with orcs, and a dark power gathers there. The King thinks that if this is true, there is a chance that we can discover the truth in this, and put a stop to it once we have an idea of the power we will need."**_

"_**Are there truly orcs there?" Saeros asked. "It seems unlikely that we would have overlooked them so long."**_

"_**Either way," Oropher said. "we should follow our orders and return. The trees at night are so full of darkness..."**_

_**Legolas nodded, more to himself than the others. Then he adjusted the sling of arrows over his shoulder so that the strap wouldn't cut into his shoulder as badly. The bow was in his hand, ready to be strung at a moments notice. The Prince set out again, walking carefully forward, and the three smaller Silvan elves followed dutifully. **_

_**They knew the paths well through the trees that led to the abandoned fortress. They had been traveling along it many times, and found nothing. Besides, not many orcs would be in that place if any were left after the Battle of the Five Armies. They were not afraid of what they would find there. Not at first at least.**_

_**But as they traveled on further they began to grow more and more uneasy. The air seemed to be growing thicker and fouler here. Even the spiders that normally watched from the trees seemed silent, if they were here at all. It seemed that they had gone away running, terrified of something worse that now stalked the trees. The elves nearly turned back, but Legolas felt duty bound to go searching for the answers his father wanted, and the others would not abandon their Prince. So reluctantly, the four elves traveled onward.**_

_**They had not gotten far however, when finally one of their number could not stand the oppressive air any longer. Oropher suddenly froze in his tracks, trembling visibly under the weight of the darkness here. Angrod and Saeros called for the Prince to wait, and he turned, surprised, to the younger elf. He had never seen him falter at any task before, and returned to his side.**_

"_**I cannot go further," Oropher gasped. "I will not."**_

"_**We can't stop here," Legolas said as soothingly as he could. "We can't wait here. We're nearly there. You can stand it a little longer."**_

"_**The trees are watching me as never before," the petrified elf cried. "I cannot go on!"**_

"_**Quiet," Angrod suddenly hissed, making all of the others fall silent. "I hear a horse coming."**_

_**The others listened for the sound as well, and were surprised to hear the heavy fall of a horse's hooves as it ran, because the people of Greenwood kept few horses, and knew not to run them so hard over the ground for fear of the many hidden dangers of the forest floor snapping one of the delicate legs. They paused a moment, full of indecision. Should they wait to see who it was? Certainly no elf had a horse with such a heavy foot fall. At last though, Legolas decided, snapping his fingers.**_

"_**Into the trees," he said.**_

_**Instantly the elves heeded him, leaping up and nimbly climbing the trees. The four elves disappeared from view like only an elf raised in the forest could. Among the leaves Legolas waited, noticing that he had been right suspecting that the spiders had gone. Their webs were torn like they had left in a great haste. He turned his eyes down to the ground again.**_

_**A rider on a black horse, completely hooded by a black cloak, came thundering past suddenly, as if his master's whip were cracking loudly behind his head. The poor horse was foaming at the mouth and plunging wildly ahead as if it feared the rider holding the reigns behind it. The rider was completely oblivious to the horse's fear or fatigue, facing ahead and riding with all speed that his mount could allow him.**_

_**Fear gripped at Legolas, a fear unlike any he had known before, a complete and irrational fear of finding himself faced by a creature like this. It petrified him in the tree. He did not move or make a sound. He saw Angrod drop to the ground nervously, motioning for the others to follow. But Legolas could not bring himself to let go of the tree, and instead wedged himself further inside the branches. Saeros joined Angrod on the ground, looking as wildly around as the horse had earlier. But Oropher was still frozen in a fear in his perch as well, and since Legolas had been closest to the strange rider, his taint seemed to make his body freeze in fear like never before. **_

"_**Legolas," Angrod called softly, his voice choked a little with fear. "Oropher! Come down! Let's leave now!"**_

_**Legolas heard the wisdom in the words, and willed his body to move. But the fear had overridden the elf's rational mind and his body would not respond to the summons. The two elves on the ground looked up to their Prince in horror, because they had never once seem him so terrified and unable to move. They called to him more, growing more and more nervous as the seconds passed, but he would not even look at them. Angrod had just made up his mind to go up after him, when an unearthly noise froze them again and made them look towards Dol Guldur.**_

_**It was a shriek, like that of a wounded beast, but high in pitch and slightly human sounding. The shriek of the creature sent shivers of ice down their spines, and they knew what they were looking at though they had never seen one before. A creature needing to wear a black cloak to give form to its nothingness, needed to ride a horse that would hardly stand its touch now, and carrying a large and deadly sword at its side that could create more creatures like itself. A Wraith. And a very powerful one at that.**_

_**Turning their eyes to the scene they could see nine of them, all handing the reigns of their terrified horses to orcs that were standing nearby. The nine of them fell into a triangular formation, with the largest and most formidable one in the front. They walked forward a couple feet and then stopped, seeming to wait for something. The elves could see all that was happening from where they were, and none of them dared to move for fear of what they would discover. **_

_**A hissing voice seemed to spawn out of the air to speak to the nine, a voice that made the horses scream and try to bolt. It was ancient and evil, and the elves knew that it was talking in Black Speech even though they had never heard the language used before. The voice itself seemed to crackle like fire, and only the nine very attentive wraiths seemed to have any clue what the voice was saying, let alone not be petrified by the sound of it.**_

_**Legolas knew now that there was something far more sinister than a simple necromancer up in Dol Guldur, and he found himself very afraid. They should not be here. They needed to leave. If they did not, then who knew what horrors waited for them here? But still he was frozen, and he could not bring himself to move. He couldn't be blamed of course. He had no idea that he was seeing not only the nine terrible Ring Wraiths, but also their Lord and Master, a very weak form of Sauron.**_

_**Weak he may have been, but not so weak as to not have control of his Ring Wraiths. He had finally gained that much power at least. But his power was still weak and he did not have complete control of it. He began murmuring the words of a spell, casting it over his Ring Wraiths. Not many had a guess what it was for, but it was thought that it was to restore some of the powers of the nine over the other Wraiths in his army. Either way, the spell did not go as planned.**_

_**Instead of going just into the nine, it expanded upon all of the creatures in that area, including the four elves. The orcs and horses screamed first, in terror and pain. Sauron realized his mistake and began to correct it. But the damage had been done.**_

_**Orcs at least were creatures of darkness, and could recover from the attack. The elves on the other hand were creatures of the light, and so they did not have that luck. **_

_**Legolas knew pain first. It rocketed through his body and through his skull. It felt like his mind was being ripped apart from the inside out. The darkness burned through his veins and stole his breath, infecting every single cell in his body. He didn't scream, but the others did. Oropher fell from the tree, and Angrod and Saeros fell to the ground. They writhed in agony and screamed, and their pure voices filled with such pain and terror seemed to awaken the sleeping woods into a panic. Trees that had slept for many years awakened and began to speak to one another nervously. Hiding animals burst from the underbrush and ran as fast as they could away.**_

_**Legolas thankfully did not fall from the tree. He had wedged himself in tight enough that he had gotten himself stuck, even when he writhed in agony. He remained silent, fighting the impulse for fear of being found. He looked down at the three elves below him as the foul voice began to speak again and the Wraiths closed in underneath him upon the elves.**_

_**The he knew darkness. Even more terrifying than the pain, everything fell dark, except for the creatures of darkness around him. They blazed in his mind brightly, while everything else was black. To see the forms of the Wraiths was terrifying, and he found himself more scared than before. He saw the dim light from the elves on the ground as well, because they too were becoming like wraiths. The orcs he could see dimly as well, but when he turned his head something else in the ruins caught his attention. He saw a great eye, wreathed in flame, and lidless. Legolas could take no more of the terror, and his body gave him over to unconsciousness and whatever fate awaited him.**_

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Aragorn looked down at the elf again and was surprised to see tears rolling down his face. But he did not wake the elf. Though the nightmares that plagued him were horrible, getting him to actually go to sleep was rare, and the poor elf needed rest. He wasn't dead yet.

There wasn't much more to the story. Whether the new amount of wraiths had confused Sauron to their actual number or he thought Legolas dying wasn't clear. But when Legolas woke up next his world was completely dark and there was no sign of the evil that he had seen before. Hours later several of his kin had found him and taken the absolutely terrified elf back to his father, realizing that he couldn't see. They learned the situation and many grew terrified of the Prince, who was now somewhere between the wraith world and their own.

Legolas soon learned that Oropher and Saeros had gone missing, and there was no sign of them. Angrod had somehow alluded capture by the Wraiths, to wander back to Legolas' father and die from the darkness circling within his heart. Legolas seemed like he would soon follow him, because an elf losing their light was a sometimes slow and painful death. But the elf Prince seemed determined to survive, and he had. But his existence remained a curse.

The only thing he could truly see now was anything evil. The darkness that surrounded these creatures became clear to Legolas. He could learn to fight without his eyes after years of training. His ears could become good and he could learn to walk in a way as to not fall. But he could not learn joy again. The only smile that was ever plastered onto his face seemed fake and unreal. He was hardly ever truly happy, and then only for a moment. His silver blue eyes were now gray blue, and they were duller. Legolas wished deeply though to just be blind, and to see no evil. But he couldn't stop that now.

Elrond hadn't wanted Legolas to join this quest, but Thranduil had begged it of him. He was fully prepared to die, to fade away from losing both his wife and son, and leave his people without an heir. Legolas knew that his people were very disturbed at the thought. But there was little they could do now unless there was a miracle that let him return to the way he had been before. Elrond had at last relented though on the condition that Legolas use his curse to help the fellowship in any way that he could, though he wasn't sure how much help he would be with it. He could fight at least though, and he was willing to defend Frodo on his journey. Though soon he would have to tell them the creature they would be working with.

Aragorn squeezed the elf's shoulder slightly as reassuringly as he could. He knew it would be hard on the elf, and he didn't expect that the fellowship would be too keen on the idea. But they would just have to deal with it and learn to fight with the creature that Legolas was. At this point they didn't have much of a choice, and they needed all of the help that they could get.

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**A few things I should explain. Of course there are still people who care for Legolas because they know what he was like before and they don't want to lose him. Also, Sauron's powers at this point were presumably pretty weak, so he couldn't quite control his powers. As to what the spell was that he used that changed the elves into wraiths was, again no one is sure. It was possibly a spell to give the wraiths some powers back because they are probably connected very closely to him and need his power for their power. Only Legolas' strength of will kept him from dying of the darkness or becoming a wraith. This idea of the light within the elves was taken from the movies when Arwen was dying because of the darkness coming from Mordor. **

**Legolas sees a light from the dead things, like Frodo saw when he put on the Ring and could see the Nine Ring Wraiths. Anything full of light seems dark to Legolas' eyes, and if there is enough light he can see a dark silhouette of the thing he's looking at, darker than the rest of the blackness around him. Everything's sort of flipped. **

**Anyway, tell me below if you think this makes any sense. Thanks and I hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far.**


	3. The Elf's Promise

**This chapter starts straight into the council meeting that decides the fate of the Ring, and that the Fellowship is formed in. Legolas doesn't join them at first, but he does once Elrond is done sharing his story. Most of them aren't to keen on the idea. (I wonder why?) But they'll get fond of him before the end. ;)**

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**Thanks guys! I means a lot to me! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!**

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**I hope people will consider reviewing to tell me what they think of the story. I would like to know. Constructive criticism is also encouraged and welcome. I'm attempting to stay as close to the canon of Lord of the Rings as possible, and this is the first chapter where that's very evident at all. I know that the story will vary from time to time from the story, but I hope it's an enjoyable read none the less.**

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"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Elrond began, letting them all know that the meeting was now in session. "you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands on the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom."

Elrond paused a moment, letting his eyes wander around the partial circle of chairs. It was arranged this way so no one person would feel less important than another. It was a gesture of good will, that looking toward Gimil, he knew that not everyone shared. Legolas could feel his eyes, full of distrust and hate and bit back a sigh. That hatred would surely only grow if Elrond continued as he had planned. Legolas was not very comfortable with this idea, but he decided that it was probably better if the Fellowship knew what they were dealing with.

Legolas heard the Gondorian shift ever so slightly. Legolas hadn't bothered to ask what anyone looked like. After all, what was the point? He would never see them unless some miracle happened. He was beginning to recognize different patterns of breathing, of footfalls, and voices. It would be a slow process, but eventually he would learn them all.

The dwarf to his side huffed when he thought the elf was ignoring him. The hobbit at the end of one of the rows shifted very nervously, and the wizard patted the hobbit's arm. Legolas thought he heard the sight rustle of the wizard's robe as he turned his head in his direction. Other than that, there was little interaction between him and the wizard. Gandalf noticed and frowned, wondering what on earth could be wrong with the Prince he had met before in Mirkwood? Aragorn saw the frown and shifted ever so slightly.

"Bring forth the Ring," Elrond continued, unobservant to the signs from within the council.

All eyes immediately turned back to the tiny halfling as he brought the Ring forward, placing it on a rock table in the center of the council. Relinquishing hold of it, he returned to his seat in which he was before, and the wizard patted his arm as reassuringly as he could. Every eye turned to the Ring, even Legolas' eyes. The Ring blazed brightly, full of evil, while all else was darkness to his eyes. It made him shudder a little to behold it. But he was not the only one with a similar reaction. The Ring began whispering words into their ears, of what none were sure but the elf that was part Wraith. But it made them greatly desire the Ring. The elf on the other hand felt sick just looking at it. He didn't want the Ring. He didn't want to be anywhere near it. The Gondorian leaned forward suddenly and spoke.

"It is a gift," Boromir said. Legolas looked at him with everyone else, and was startled to see that he could vaguely make out the man's form in the darkness. "a gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"

Legolas felt himself pale suddenly and he felt his stomach churn. So soon? Already the Ring was taking the council. It's might was terrible! He began to speak, hoping his voice would not shake, but Aragorn suddenly unwittingly came to the elf's rescue by speaking first.

"You cannot wield it," Aragorn said. "None of us can. The one Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has not other master." The Gondorian looked at Aragorn with contempt.

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asked. Legolas grew angry and rose at the defense of his friend, the color returning to his face as he thought of the man's insolence.

"This is no mere Ranger," he said. All eyes turned to him now. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." All eyes turned in surprise now to Aragorn.

"Aragorn?" The Gondorian asked with disbelief. "This is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas added. Aragorn sighed.

"_Sit down Legolas,_" he said to the elf in elvish. Legolas' eyes glanced toward Aragorn before he returned to his seat, as silent as before.

"Gondor has no king," Boromir boldly proclaimed, sitting down and muttering something else that was lost on the wind, while shooting a scathing gaze towards Aragorn.

"You have but one choice," Elrond said, looking over everyone. "We must destroy the Ring."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli suddenly exclaimed from right next to Legolas.

He stood and picked up his axe, quickly crossing the space to where the Ring was. Legolas heard each and every one of his heavy footfalls. He began to speak, to warn the dwarf against it, but with a clash of ringing metal the blade of the axe came down upon it. Instantly Legolas winced as a vision of the great eye he had seen once before flashed into his mind. He paled again, and the elves that had come to Rivendell with Legolas looked at him. He was not the only one however. Frodo also let out a yelp of pained surprise, for he had also seen the eye.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli Son of Gloin, by any craft we here possess," Elrond continued without damaging the dwarf's ego any further. The dwarf returned to his seat and glanced at the elf, surprised to see him so pale. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." There was nothing but silence around the circle, and even Legolas looked up, fear in his heart. "One of you must do this."

"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir said shakily. "Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, and ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly." Legolas could sense the fear in the air, and he knew that he must speak. The elf leaped up.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" he cried, unable to think of anything else to say. "The Ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli cried, surprising the elf as he stood and glared at him. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!"

Instantly the elves from Mirkwood leaped up and began to argue with the dwarves who had also leaped up to defend the statement of the other dwarf. Legolas held out his arms, holding the elves back. And though they were slightly scared of the powers he now possessed, they obeyed and did not step forward, keeping a fight from breaking out at least. Others began to stand as well, adding their loud voices to the din, and Legolas could see how the Ring was already tearing them apart. The dwarves and elves insulted one another. Boromir began to argue with other men around him. Gandalf stood and began trying to regain some order, but raising his voice didn't help anything. Legolas remained silent, unwilling to join in the argument. It was because of this, that he was the first to hear something extraordinary. He heard a chair scoot back a bit as tiny feet hit the ground and stepped forward.

"I will take it," Frodo cried.

No one else heard him. Legolas however couldn't help but turn his head in surprise at the sound. The dwarves and elves paused a moment, seeing the look on his face. The loudest part of the arguments died down, so now everyone heard.

"I will take it," Frodo again cried.

The arguments died out all together as everyone turned to look at the hobbit. His voice got a little quieter on seeing that he had everyone's attention.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor," the hobbit said. He looked around at all the faces staring at him in surprise and wonder, and his voice fell quieter still. "Though, I do not know the way."

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins," Gandalf said, stepping forward next to the hobbit. "as long as it is yours to bear." Legolas heard as Aragorn rose from his seat and knelt before the hobbit.

"If by my life, or death, I can protect you," he said. "I will. You have my sword." Gimli gave Legolas a small smirk and stepped forward as well.

"And you have my axe," he told the hobbit. The elf did not take his bait however and remained silent. He would be joining them anyway.

"You carry the fate of us all little one," Boromir said to the hobbit. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."

To the council's surprise, another hobbit leaped out of the bushes and ran to Frodo, crossing his arms defiantly and declaring that he would be going with Frodo. Legolas thought his name was Sam, and Elrond made a remark about how they were inseparable. Two more ran out, determined to join in on the quest as well, and Legolas couldn't help but smile. Funny the courage of hobbits. Few races thought they had any, but when it came to loyalty they were full of that at least.

"Nine companions," Elrond said quietly, glancing slightly towards Legolas. The number was not lost on the elf, for there were Nine Ring Wraiths. The Fellowship glanced around, wondering who the ninth was. "Very well. You shall be called the Fellowship of the Ring."

The council then realized that they were done, and they began to break and go their separate ways. The elves from Mirkwood bowed their heads a little to Legolas before they left. They knew that he would not see it, but they knew also they may never see the Prince again. Elrond motioned for Legolas to stay, as if he would turn now and run away. The others glanced at the elf Prince.

"Legolas will be joining you," Elrond said.

"No," Gandalf instantly replied. "I would not take him on a quest like this. I would not risk his life. Besides his father would not-"

"Thranduil has already expressed his consent," Elrond said, cutting him off. Mostly everyone was silent. They either had no idea what was going on, or in the case of Aragorn, grimly watched Elrond's face. Legolas shifted a little nervously as Gandalf gazed at Elrond.

"Why?" the wizard asked. Elrond glanced toward Legolas before looking at the Fellowship.

"Because Legolas' fate is tied to that of the one Ring," the half elf said. There was silence, so he continued. "It is a tale that few elves know, let alone others. But it is true nonetheless. As some of you may know, Mirkwood was once known as Greenwood, though it became known as the former when a dark shadow fell over it. It is more the fault of the council than any other that we did not foresee this before then, for we blindly believed that we had defeated Sauron, which is not the case. Gandalf warned Thranduil of the dangers of Dol Guldur, a fortress within the borders of Mirkwood. But the elves had other issues to deal with and nearly forgot the warning. Nearly. At last though, four elves went to discover the truth in the claims, for they had seen plenty of orcs in their borders before then. They found something else entirely though." Elrond's face turned to Frodo. "They found the Ring Wraiths."

The tiny hobbit's eyes widened and he reached up and touched his shoulder where the wound had been given to him from the Witch King.

"Ring Wraiths in Mirkwood?" Gimli asked, even the dwarf finding it hard to believe.

"Not only them," Elrond continued, aware that Legolas was very pale behind him. But the Prince made no sound and all eyes remained fixed on Elrond. "But something far worse. You see we discovered too late that Sauron had found his way into Mirkwood. We ignored the signs we saw there, and as a result we lost too many lives, and allowed him to regain his strength."

The horror of what Elrond was saying was beginning to appear on all of their faces as they watched the half elf. No one spoke, and no one seemed to breathe either.

"Four elves went into that forest that day," Elrond continued. "And only one came back. Sauron cast some sort of spell over his Ring Wraiths, but since his power was weakened and he was hardly in control of it, he accidentally created more Wraiths with that spell, the elves that were there." There were several gasps of horror from the hobbits. "It is no easy matter either, for elves are creatures of light, and cannot live within the darkness. When an elf loses their light they will fade and die, or else become Wraiths themselves. It is slow and painful. On that day, one of the elves died, unable to withstand the evil growing in his heart. Two were never found. They vanished, and are probably Wraiths somewhere wondering under Sauron's control. And the last, you have all met. It is honestly a miracle that he has survived this long, for it happened just after the quest for Erebor. This strength of this elf is still surprising to me, for there is nothing we can do to help him."

He looked over the Fellowship, eyeing each of them carefully. Some of them had realized who he was referring to, and kept glancing with either sad or fearful looks at Legolas, who could not see them and waited patiently.

"Only one thing can we do," he said. "and there is only the slightest chance that it will work. You see, the elf we speak of hangs somewhere between the realm of the living and the realm of the Wraiths. His eyes are useless to him unless it is to see evil, where then it burns to his eyes like the fires of Mount Doom, for his eyes are trapped fully within the realm of the Wraiths where he sees as they do. His light is fading, and unless the Ring is destroyed there will be no hope for him and he will either die or fall and become a Wraith himself. The darkness is too great for him to survive much longer. It is for this reason that Legolas Greenleaf must travel with you, or else he will have no hope." There was silence as everyone looked to the elf. He nodded his head to them.

"If this is to be my fate," Legolas said. "then I would do something good while I may still have time. After all, I may yet fall into evil."

The hobbits stared at him, not sure what to think at first. They had never even noticed that the elf was blind, for he hid it well. Looking at him now though they could see it. Gimli stared at the elf, unable to hide his surprise. He had often heard his father speak of how careless and hateful the son of Thranduil had seemed, and yet now looking at him, in such a pitiless state, he felt sorry for the elf. He would never mention this of course, but he found himself more sorry for him than afraid. Boromir looked absolutely horrified, and Aragorn's mouth was pressed shut into a tight line, so tight that his lips were beginning to turn white. Gandalf looked at Legolas sadly.

"Very well," the wizard said. "He will come with us then. I know his father would not send him to us if he was useless."

"Nor would I," Elrond said quietly, more to the elf behind him.

"No," Boromir said. "Absolutely not. We cannot take him with us, he will only slow us down! Not only is he blind, which will no doubt be a large inconvenience to us, but he is a Wraith! What if he is to fall into darkness? What then?"

"Legolas has already agreed," Elrond said. "that if that time were to come he would rather die. In that case it would be up to one of you to end his life before he became a Wraith."

"I would rather not put the fate of mankind in the hands of something so evil," Legolas added in a monotone. The hobbits looked up in horror. All the elves they had met were joyful and full of life. What had caused this one to be so willing to throw his life away?

"And as for him being blind," Aragorn said, drawing his short knife from its sheathe. "he can fight better than most of you, even without his eyes."

As proof, Aragorn threw his knife directly at Legolas, and his aim was true. If the elf had not heard the blade approaching it would have struck his heart and he would have died. As it was however, the elf lightly sidestepped and caught the blade by the hilt, frowning then at Aragorn.

"I would appreciate it," Legolas said. "if you would not throw your knives at me." Boromir did not look happy, and even Gimli was quite surprised. But all doubt was erased from the minds of the hobbits.

"How did you do that?" Pippin asked.

"Elf's ears are sharp," Legolas replied. "And since I cannot see, mine are better than any other."

Aragorn walked to the elf and extended his hand. To the surprise and wonder of the Fellowship, Legolas laid the knife very carefully into the man's hand like he knew exactly where it was. In reality, Legolas had a very good guess, considering he could hear the slightest rustle of clothing as Aragorn had extended his hand, and had realized that his hand was nearby. The man replaced his knife and they both turned to look at the others. Boromir looked ready to speak again, but Gimli stopped him.

"Leave him alone laddie," the dwarf said with a grunt. "Nothing's going to change the wizard's mind. We're stuck with him." Boromir reluctantly remained silent.

"We are indeed," Gandalf said gravely. "And we will be leaving tomorrow at dawn's first light. We must leave with all haste."

They all nodded and left to their separate rooms, understanding that the wizard had assumed command and they were not going to change his mind. Legolas sighed a little, turning his head heaven wards. He was really going on this quest now. There was no going back.

"By the Valar," he whispered to himself. "I will help them if I can."

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**What do you think? Tell me below please. :D**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, because things are going to get more interesting, and most likely a little crazier as time goes on. Thanks for stopping and taking the time to read my story either way. **


	4. The Watchful Wraiths

**Here we go with another chapter!**

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**Thanks to DeHobbit for being the first person to review! It means so much to me! I'm glad that you enjoy the story since you're obviously such a huge Lord of the Rings fan. I hope this chapter continues with your expectations of it. Also thanks to lotrlover16 for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story, and I'll be sure to continue, and hopefully quickly. It's a somewhat challenging story to come up with, but that's what makes it so fun to write!**

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**I'm going to have some chapters with Legolas' inner thoughts, so I hope that's alright. I also hope to eventually explore the lives of the Fellowship a little after they defeat Sauron. **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and this story!**

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Dawn broke softly over the Last Homely House, and the members of the newly formed Fellowship of the Ring woke one by one and walked out to greet the day. There was silence. No one came to see them off, as if they knew they would never see either of them again. All of the Fellowship was burdened by some thoughts, and none of them were happy at all to be going on such a dangerous quest. But it had to be done, and there was no turning back now that they were here. The Hobbits looked up with eager faces to the sunrise, drinking it in with their eyes. Legolas on the other hand, stood off to the side, trapped as always within the darkness of his thoughts.

He glanced up once, and caught the sight of the One Ring, burning brightly to his gaze. It fell behind Frodo's shirt again and was lost to his eyes, for his eyes were not powerful enough to always see the Ring. Not yet. Already he could feel the Ring calling to him, begging him to take it to its master, as if the thing were a living thing that longed for familiar touch. He could hear its voice, and since it recognized the taint of its master's Wraith, it called to him. Legolas almost entertained the idea of giving into the darkness, and of taking the Ring to Sauron. Almost. He was not quite that far gone yet.

"_Come child,_" the Ring's evil voice hissed to him in black speech. Legolas could understand it, and it made him shudder. "_Free me. Return me to our lord. Why do you fight it? Why do you struggle? Become one with the darkness, for darkness is apart of this world as is the light. Forget those who had forsaken you because of the gifts our master has given to us. Take me to him. You will be well rewarded, for he knows my voice, and will listen to me._"

Silently Legolas shook his head, as if to rid the foul voice from his ears. The rest of the Fellowship could also hear the foul voice every now and then, constantly whispering to one person or the other, asking them to take it. The Hobbits were creatures of light hearts, and often did not notice the sound. Gandalf frowned but ignored it, and Gimli was far too proud to ever take the Ring and fail in anything. Aragorn was of strong will and ignored the Ring. Boromir often glanced towards the Ring, for though he was strong he felt little hope. One day he might fall to its power, but not yet. The Ring though tortured Legolas' waking thoughts, constantly whispering assurances to him. After all, if he became evil then what was to stop him from taking out his anger on those who had forsaken him? If he was evil, he wouldn't fear. But the elf couldn't give himself over to the darkness so easily. He could not forget the eye or the screams of his comrades. He would not forget. It was this last determination and strength that kept him from falling.

He turned his eyes at last away from the Ring and Frodo, ignoring it as he would have before. It was not lost to Boromir however, who frowned at the elf. Again he thought about the fact that the elf was very Wraith like already, and he could not shake the feeling that he would betray the Fellowship. He did not of course, realize that he was already further under the command of the Ring than the elf who was constantly tortured by it. He said nothing though as he glanced at the wizard, who was moving among them and looking up and down at all of the nine and their weapons. He paused a moment before Legolas and laid his hand on his shoulder, patting it as reassuringly as he could. The elf nodded his head to the wizard, but otherwise did not respond. His eyes stared blankly ahead while he listened carefully.

The elf paused a moment, sure he felt more than one pair of eyes locked on him now. He knew most of the Fellowship would not like his presence here, though they tolerated it. They weren't fond of the idea of having a ticking time bomb inches away from the very thing that would soon decide their entire future. He wondered also if his lack of sight unnerved them. He often unnerved people that he could not see and could still fight. They didn't like to talk to someone who could never quite meet their gaze, but still pretended he could. The thought made Legolas suddenly feel very depressed and more sad than he had in a while. What business did he have here? Going on a quest that was so important? If they failed because of him... Well he supposed he didn't matter either way. More than likely, he would die or become a Wraith long before they came close to Mordor. He just hoped that if that was true, that Aragorn or Gandalf did not have to face him. It would be hard for them, though perhaps not so for the others. Still, he trusted them to do what had to be done. Even if it meant ending him.

He turned his head towards the sky, as if looking for answers. He wondered what on earth he was supposed to do here. His mother had often told him that everything happened for a reason, even torture and suffering. But he couldn't see why, if he was the way that he was, he was supposed to come on this quest. Wasn't Boromir right? Wasn't he more a burden than any help? The thoughts gnawed away at him, and the Ring still whispered promises to him. It was very stressful to the elf, too stressful. But he had long suffered in silence. His face remained impassive as always, not telling that in truth he was ready to break down into tears. His eyes hid every emotion away, and those dull gray blue eyes were like glass, reflecting the emotions of others back out to them. And most of all he was silent, never speaking in complaint. He knew that it was of no help to himself. With so much confusion it was more likely he would give into the darkness before long. But he didn't tell anyone. He didn't want to worry them with the knowledge of how far gone he was. Not yet. They had enough to worry about now, more important than the fate of one elf.

"It seems we are all here and ready to depart," Gandalf said. "Good then. Now listen, the road ahead of us will be very dangerous and fraught with peril. But we must have courage and press on. As long as we have hope, then there will be hope for Middle Earth. We must not lose this."

"If we are to leave, then let us go now," Boromir suddenly said, glaring at Legolas. The elf of course could feel the scathing look but did not turn to look at the man and anger him further.

"Patience," Aragorn said. It was quite obvious to all of them that Boromir was not a very willing companion in this journey. "We must be sure we are completely ready. Lord Elrond has given us food and clothes for the journey, but we must listen to the words of the wizard."

"Do not grow so testy," Gimli told the man, eyeing him with annoyance. "We all must be ready to do as we can."

"Are you saying that I will not pull my weight?" Boromir growled. "I may not be so willing as the rest of you fools to go on this quest, but I am a man of Gondor, and a man of my word. I will not be useless. My sword is given to this Fellowship. And I will not hesitate to do my duty. I am of worth here."

Legolas knew that the man was speaking of him, and again saying that he did not trust or think Legolas of any use here. The elf however did not reply or deny the statements. He felt rather useless himself, but he said nothing. He was gratefully distracted by the snapping of a branch nearby in the underbrush. He turned his head to let his eyes scan the tree line as he had grown accustomed to doing. It was nothing sinister, only an animal passing by. The world was still dark to his eyes. Of course it was. They were safe here in the realm of Elrond. But out there, they would not be.

"No one said you were not," Frodo said as gently as he could, trying to ease some of the tension.

"Leave him be Mr. Frodo," Sam told him. "That one has a nasty attitude."

"Oi," Merry suddenly called. "Stop talking about him."

"Oi," Pippin demaned back. "Whose side are you on Merry?"

"Enough all of you," Gandalf said, ending the conversation before anyone was more offended or hurt by the words than they already were. "There is no time for this. We are on a very delicate mission, let me remind all of you. We cannot break here. You must band together or we might as well never leave Rivendell and let the dark powers come here and destroy the rest of the world. Do you understand? We will not bicker like mindless orcs."

There was silence. No one spoke. Some were surprised in the wizard's anger. Others had nothing to say because they were ashamed. Legolas on the other hand remained silent, still absently watching the tree line, as if he had sensed something there. A dark foreboding fell over him suddenly, the gift of his people to sense dangers approaching. Nervously he again scanned the area, but he saw nothing. It did little to ease his troubled mind. The wizard turned to Legolas, gazing at him a moment, and he began to speak, making the elf turn to let him know that he was listening.

"Legolas," Gandalf said. "Elrond told me of what you see. I need your eyes, for they are powerful against the creatures we will face along the way. I will need you to keep a careful watch for us. Your powers may be a curse, but we will use them while we may." The elf nodded his head to the wizard in silence.

"Then we will leave now?" Aragorn said. "In the daylight the dangers of the wild are no less than those at night." Gandalf patted the Ranger's shoulder.

"Perhaps it is not," the wizard replied. "You would know more than most. But yes, we will leave now. We cannot delay. Every day Sauron grows more powerful. We must stop him before he becomes too powerful. So now, we must go."

The wizard had suddenly made it very clear that there was to be no more discussion on this matter, and no one was willing to challenge him. They all remained silent, and turned to follow the wizard when he walked past them. Legolas followed Aragorn, for his friend had offered earlier before they had arrived to walk in front of him. Legolas could hear where the Ranger's feet fell upon the ground, and therefore where he should step to keep himself from falling across the rough terrain and becoming the liability because of his blindness that Boromir thought that he was. The two of them were among the front of the group, and Legolas carefully but quickly followed within the man's foot steps. Frodo was kept mostly within the center of the group, but that didn't stop Pippin from running up close to the wizard.

"Where are we going first?" the inquisitive hobbit asked.

"We will take the passage south first," Gandalf said. "That is the straightest path to Mordor. However, if that path fails us we may find ourselves having to take the pass over Caradhras. I hope it does not come to that however."

"Why?" Pippin asked.

"That is none of your concern now," Gandalf replied, eying the hobbit. "We will try the passage south. That is all you must know for now."

The group kept moving onward, seeking to disappear before the light of day had fully awakened Rivendell. With any luck they would be gone like a shadow on the memories of those behind them. Legolas wondered a moment about the three guards that had been sent here with him from Mirkwood. He knew that they had been scared of him. They had hardly spoke to him at all, as if his curse could be passed to them. He thought of his father, waiting for the news that his son would be gone from him forever, waiting to fade at last. He thought of his people, waiting in despair for the end of their kingdom. He had never said goodbye to any of them. But they had seemed to hate him. He knew it wasn't true, and that they were hurt at the thought of the fate that awaited him. He knew they would miss him, only that their fear of the beast he had become had made them so distant. But they didn't know that he knew this. And if there was one thing Legolas knew, it was that the words someone didn't say could be far worse than any words they had said.

But there was no time to dwell on the past now. This was the present, and the future still lay far ahead. He had only one course now. There was no time to delay. He looked up suddenly, his eyes scanning the area. They were crossing the ford now. Soon they would reach the other side, and the dangers of the wild that they would now face, along with the dangers of the enemy. His eyes scanned the treeline and the air, searching for any strange sights.

There was a flash of light to his eyes, very small and far away. He turned his gaze towards it and stopped. There were two shapes not unlike those of tall men. They seemed almost to be floating, but he could vaguely make out the shapes of horses beneath them. They were rather far away, and they seemed to have seen him too, stopping suddenly. The elf stopped as well, turning his eyes to them and never letting them wander away from them. Legolas felt Boromir bump into his back, and the man was about to turn and say something angrily to the elf, but paused when he saw the look on the elf's face, and that his eyes were directly trained on something his eyes could not see. Frodo, Merry, and Sam had noticed as well, along with Gimli. They all stopped, looking at the elf.

"Gandalf," Frodo suddenly called.

There was a rustle of robes as the wizard stopped and turned. Aragorn looked as well, and froze immediately, prepared to draw his weapon if he had to. The whole Fellowship had suddenly stopped and turned their gazes to the elf. Still, Legolas continued to stare at the two Wraiths, waiting and watching. They seemed to think he was their ally however, for they turned their steeds and went along their way. Legolas was a little surprised to see that they did not move their arms as if with reigns, but instead gripped at something at the horses' backs. The horses from this distance seemed to turn and move along on their own. And Legolas didn't know what to think of it.

"What is it?" Gandalf asked. The elf didn't respond at first, and his eyes began to scan the area again.

"Wraiths," he finally said. The Fellowship seemed to tense suddenly.

"How many?" the wizard demanded.

"Only two," Legolas replied, which seemed to ease the minds of the Fellowship a little. "They have gone. I think they did not see me well enough to realize I am not one of them yet. They have moved onward."

The wizard seemed to relax a little and let out a sigh. It was odd, considering the wizard hardly ever seemed phased by anything. Still, he turned to Legolas, frowning a little at the use of the word yet. He turned to the Fellowship however, of which many of the members looked around nervously.

"Come," the wizard said. "We can't linger here any longer. Who knows what else waits here? I know these lands are relatively safe, but we can't wait and see. Come along everyone. Let us put as much distance from this place as we can."

The wizard soundly strangely cheerful, which seemed to help the rest of the Fellowship not be so frightened of the Wraiths. None of them said anything, very much glad to get away from this place if it was anywhere near the creatures of the enemy. Legolas nodded to Boromir, and then stepped forward again, following the Ranger ahead of him. This time the Gondorian was silent and had no scathing remark for the elf, seeming to realize at last that the elf would be of use while he was here at last. So they continued on their path.

Much more alert now, Legolas' eyes would often scan the area. But since they were still very close to the realm of Elrond these lands were still well maintained and protected. The elf was a little ashamed to have let the Wraiths so close without noticing them. He vowed to keep a much sharper vigilant out as they continued.

All in all, the Fellowship made good progress as they moved on. The hobbits were somewhat used to a relentless pace of walking since they had followed Aragorn to the Last Homely House in the first place. They trudged along without complaining. The others were all hardened warriors and didn't mind the pace so long as they continued on. Legolas on the other hand was the most tireless of all of the Fellowship and trudged along with them without a sound.

Periodically the hobbits would glance at Legolas, but the elf remained silent, though ever vigilant. Soon the sun rose higher and higher, and the Fellowship pressed on for a long time, looking to put as much distance between themselves and their starting destination as they could. However, as the sun rose to about the noon mark, they knew they had to take a rest. As one they all settled down beneath some shade trees and rested their weary feet, all but Legolas, Gandalf, and Aragorn. The elf's eyes scanned the area again, but the world was now dark again to him. They had seen nothing else.

"We've been strangely lucky," Gandalf said. "It seems a little odd."

"It does," Aragorn replied. "Why have we encountered none of the enemy? Why only two Wraiths who turned away from us?"

"Perhaps they do not know what to make of our little band," Gandalf said, glancing at Legolas.

"You mean they do not now what to make of me," Legolas guessed correctly.

"I do think that may be the case," Gandalf said. "Unless some other reason is at work. Still, we've put some distance between us and the beginning of our journey. We will not travel so hard after this, or else we would never reach Mordor. We needed to start with all haste."

"I understand," Aragorn said. "though it may not be so easy with the others. You still plan to go further?"

"I do," Gandalf replied. "Though only until we reach the southern pass. We will not reach it today, but tomorrow around this time, if we keep this pace." Then he looked at the elf. "Thank you Legolas. Your eyes have been a great help to us. Just remember not to lose hope. We need you on this quest as much as anyone else."

"I will not lose hope Mithrandir," the elf replied.

The wizard didn't quite look convinced but left the elf alone, turning and walking back towards the others now. Aragorn looked at his friend for a moment, before laying his hand on his shoulder. The elf turned his eyes over his shoulder and to his direction.

"For whatever it is worth," he said. "I am glad you are here with me. We will need your strength." The elf managed a small and somewhat sad smile.

"It is a blessing to have a friend like you," the elf said. "And I thank you. But you should rest now. I will join you when I feel secure enough."

The man nodded, knowing well that he would not convince the elf to join them before he felt he was ready. He turned and left, leaving the elf somewhat alone and at the edge of the group. The others all sat and rested a while, speaking of trivial things to pass the time, and telling each other some stories. Hearing it, Legolas had never felt more alone. They would ignore him, and he couldn't blame them for that because he would have done the same in their shoes. If he went closer then their conversations would end and they would grow nervous of his presence once again. So he let them speak a while and left them alone, all the while his eyes scanning the trees.

The elf heard as suddenly two of the hobbits stood and approached him slowly. They truly were remarkable creatures, as silent as elves, and sometimes more so. It was Merry and Pippin he thought, for he still heard Sam and Frodo's voices farther away. The two hobbits paused a moment and looked at the elf, and then Merry turned to Pippin.

"I don't think he wants to be bothered Pippin," Merry said. "He's over here for a reason."

"But he has to be lonely," Pippin insisted. "None of the others want to talk to him but Aragorn and Gandalf. He needs some company."

"Then why did he send them over there?" Merry asked. At last the elf managed an amused smile and turned slightly towards the two hobbits.

"I would not mind company," he said. "I have simply grown used to being alone." The hobbits were a little surprised that the elf had noticed them, but Pippin immediately began to speak to him.

"That's sad," the hobbit said. "Your own people fear you that much? I wouldn't know what to do."

"I can't really blame them though," the elf said, somewhat sadly. "They are creatures of light. They do not understand the darkness. So I frighten them." For a moment, there was silence.

"So are you," Merry said quietly. "You just have to remember that. You've been fighting the darkness for so long. So you can't give up hope. You have to fight, if only to prove to them that you will not fall."

The elf turned towards Merry, regarding him silently. The hobbits both waited a little nervously. They found it hard to read the emotions of elves, and even more so Legolas since he hid his emotions so well. They didn't know if they had angered the elf or made him more sad. His emotions only came across in his voice after all. However the elf was simply listening to the hobbits a moment, thinking on how innocent to the outside world, and accepting they were. They had met the nine Ring Wraiths, and yet they had still accepted the Wraith Elf into their party. It touched him, their trust in them. It sparked a tiny bit of that determination he had once had into his chest again. He didn't want to fail them. And so a smile, a truly somewhat amused and happy smile touched his lips just barely, and the hobbits were glad to see it.

"Thank you Merry," he said. "And you as well Pippin, for reminding me again that there is still yet light in this world. It is only this that has kept me sane."

"You really like the light don't you?" Pippin asked. Merry shushed his cousin, but the elf simply smiled.

"Yes," he said. "To the elves it is precious. It represents good, and all that is fair and just in this world. It also can be pure, beautiful memories that are reflected to us in the stars. The sun, ah she is fair, and the moon, he is our guardian at night, ever chasing after the sun which he cannot touch but longs after her fiery beauty. To us, light is in everything, from the smallest of leaves to the tallest of towers. Of course, darkness can enter anything, but we believe that even if the dark wins but small victories, the light will always prevail. That is what has kept me from falling into the darkness. Because I still love the light."

The two hobbits watched in wonder as joy spread over the elf's face before them. They had seen it before in other elves, and it had always filled them with joy as well. But now they felt even more joy, for they had never seen a true smile on this elf's face, and they were glad to see it. They felt glad suddenly that they had said something, anything, to make the elf smile as he was now. They smiled a little back to the elf, knowing that he wouldn't see it but unable to not smile along with him.

"Would you tell us more?" Pippin asked. "About your people?"

"A rather inquisitive hobbit aren't you?" Legolas asked, but with a smile. "Of course I would. I would be honored. Hobbits are truly amazing creatures, both like men and elves, and yet a race all their own. I will tell you what you ask of me."

"Thank you," Merry said. "Though it's hardly necessary."

"No no," the elf replied with a small laugh. "It is fine. Small folk like you make me forget my troubles a while. You may speak to me when you wish."

"Good," Pippin said with a light heart. "You need to smile sometimes Legolas. I think it lets Strider relax a while. There's no need for you to be so distant."

"Ah," the elf mock sighed. "I will keep that in mind my wise little hobbit."

With that the elf looked up again and scanned the trees, looking out over the plains. He paused, again catching sight of the two Wraith Riders. How long had they been there? They saw him looking however and backed their steeds a way a little. That only served to perplex the elf more. Why on earth would they do that? Why were they following and yet not attacking? These were definitely not the nine Ring Wraiths. They would have already overridden them and taken the Ring. Besides, they had fallen into the river. These Wraiths were entirely different, and far less sinister. Again, they backed away, as if letting the elf know that they meant no harm. And a feeling of dread settled into the elf's stomach as he watched them, for he now had a slight suspicion about the two Wraiths.

"Legolas?" Merry asked.

The elf paused, realizing now that the entire Fellowship had fallen silent as they had seen the elf completely still and focused on something yet again. He glanced away for a moment, and then back up. The Wraiths, with their unnatural powers, had disappeared again to his eyes. It was nothing but darkness. Gandalf walked over to the elf, looking at him.

"The Wraiths again," Legolas said. "They are watching." He did not tell them however, that they were watching him, and not all of them.

"Have they come any closer?" Gandalf asked urgently.

"No," Legolas said. "Only farther away."

"But why would they do that?" the wizard asked himself aloud.

The elf didn't respond, and instead continued to study the surrounding area. There was nothing. The world was darkness to his eyes again. He wasn't sure where the Wraiths had gone to disappear so completely to his eyes, but they were gone. It gave little comfort to the Fellowship however. They were rested only a little and beginning to feel the first signs of exhaustion. There would be little rest for them here now though, not with Wraiths following them. They all stood and gathered whatever possessions they had laid down. They were all of one mind, and wished to escape from the Wraiths as quickly as possible.

"Come," Gandalf said. "Merry, Pippin, Legolas. We cannot stay here. We must move as far as we dare today, and hope that those two lose interest in whatever has gained their attention."

The way he said it sent a shiver of chills down the elf's spine. He was sure that the wizard had guessed what they were so interested, that would make them follow them so far. The others however thought it was the Ring. The elf was fine with letting them think that way. He wouldn't discourage such thoughts. The alternative was rather unpleasant to think about. So he turned and silently obeyed the wizard, joining the others as they trekked forward again. Once again, the Ranger passed in front of the elf and let the elf hear the easiest route that he could take, while still staying within the group. It was dangerous to wander too far away after all.

They traveled on in silence for a long time, ignoring the hunger that was gnawing at their stomachs, for the fear of the creatures behind them made them push on. The whole company was used by now to traveling. They knew that they had little time to stop and eat, so they would not stop until they had to. Even the hobbits, who had before been used to eating several meals a day pushed on with no complaint, for they had been following Strider, who was far more strict on leading four little hobbits than was Gandalf.

The sun rose every higher, and the heat of the day began to find them as they left the trees and made their way out into the open plains. Every now and then, the elf would stop to turn around and check behind them, making sure that they were not being followed. No one behind him made any complaint as he looked, and they wouldn't relax until he turned back forward and continued again after Aragorn. For many hours they traveled on that way, and their pace was quick so they made good time.

At last the wizard called for a stop, looking around. The elf did the same, then turned his head back to the wizard and shook his head. Everyone relaxed a little, glad that the strange Wraiths had not followed them. The wizard let out a somewhat tired sounding sigh, but straightened himself then and turned to the others.

"This will be as far as we go today," he said. "The sun will soon go down. We will make camp for tonight and rest as much as we are able. We will need to set a watch as well. Legolas, I would like you on first watch, then Aragorn, then Boromir, and lastly Gimli. That shall work for tonight, and we will take turns later. Tonight though, let's sleep as well as we can."

The elf nodded as the others all sighed and set about settling down for the night. It was a moonless night, and the stars were not bright enough to give them light by. The sun soon set, and the elf had not moved. The rest of the Fellowship fell into a troubled sleep, and the elf could hear their breathing and snoring behind him. Still he stood, a faithful sentinel. His eyes scanned the area around them, looking for anything that could prove to be a threat. But there was nothing. The world remained dark and silent around him. And now, in the darkness, he heard again the voice of the Ring.

"_They can hear it,_" came the low and evil voice. "_They know it is here. They are ever watchful. Why continue to fight? These of the Fellowship only use you for your powers. They have no other reason for wanting you here. They do not care that you are here. They do not care for you. None of them have. If it is true that all things happen for a reason, then give yourself over to the darkness. It must be done. And your destiny will be greater than ever before._"

The words of the One Ring greatly disturbed the elf, though he had tried to ignore them. They were however the thoughts and doubts that the elf had carried within him for a long time, and even stronger since he had left with the Fellowship. He tried to shake the thoughts out of his head.

"I will not fall," he said, though his voice sounded weak and unconvincing even to himself.

"_Oh you will,_" the Ring laughed to him."_It is only a matter of time._"

With that, the Ring fell silent and spoke no more. The darkness seemed closer than ever to the elf. Though the Ring did not whisper any more words to him, it became even more of a burden and the words were more terrible for it. So when the time came he was very glad to awaken Aragorn and settle onto his bedroll, turning his back to the others and sleeping farther away so as not to disturb their sleep. But the elf was so exhausted that no dreams came to him, only the darkness he was so familiar with.

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**Well that was this chapter. Once we hit the mines of Moria the story will definitely heat up a lot more, and the story will start advancing. So feel free to tell me what you think below, and what you think is up with those Wraiths that were following the Fellowship around. ;)**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**


	5. The Fell Voice

**Well here we are, beginning the quest at last towards Mordor.**

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**The story is going to get more dramatic as it goes on. It just kind of does. I hope you guys don't mind lol. Either way, this is a lot of fun to write and I hope also to read.**

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Legolas was up long before the sun rose. It was a good thing though. If he hadn't poor Gimli would have fallen asleep before the rest of the Fellowship had awoken. The elf had assured the dwarf that he would keep watch for him, and the dwarf and reluctantly fallen back asleep, too tired to remain awake anymore. The elf had waited for a few hours until the sun began to rise, and luckily the dwarf had awoken again before the rest of the Fellowship so his pride remained in tact at least. They could not wait much longer however, and the elf walked carefully through the sleeping figures and gently shook all of their shoulders so that they would awaken. Soon the whole Fellowship was up and blinking sleep out of their eyes, quickly packing away their bedrolls and sitting down to eat something quickly before they had to move on.

They chanced to light a fire, since Legolas affirmed that he saw nothing. They then ate some of the sausages that Sam had brought. Generally elves would not eat meat, but having lived in Mirkwood Legolas knew that food could often be scarce, so he ate the meat though the hobbits seemed to think they might have offended him. They ate quickly though, because Gandalf was urging them to hurry so they could leave quickly. They at last finished their meal and packed their bags back up. Then they began again with as much speed as before, hoping to reach the pass to the south by noon.

None of the Fellowship felt very comfortable at all being so out in the open, but they knew their quest would take them closer and closer to places like this. They had little choice but to continue onwards. Legolas however was ever watchful and assured them all that he saw nothing. It did concern him a little. The Ring Wraiths would have to make their way slowly back to where Mordor was, to claim new mounts for themselves. There were no orcs where they could see, anywhere. And the only things that possibly knew where the Fellowship was were two Wraiths that had come and disappeared without a trace. Still, they pushed themselves onwards, hoping to at least make the pass.

As it soon became close to noon, they at last rested. They were now on the right track, and soon they would pass through towards the south, where the rest of their path now lie. The hobbits were very grateful, but Legolas was very bothered, as were most of the Fellowship. This all seemed far too easy. Where was Saruman? Where were the orc armies massing in the shadows? He wanted to feel grateful that their mission had gone so smoothly, but he could not bring himself to do so. Still, they all sat down and rested. The hobbits again started a fire and cooked some more of the sausage, seeing as they hadn't eaten much. The Fellowship ate hastily, though Gimli made a comment about them taking the long way around, and the mines of Moria. But Gandalf did not want to take that road.

After a while, once they had rested enough, Aragorn and Boromir decided that the hobbits needed to learn how to fight. Aragorn sparred a little first with Sam and Frodo, trying his best to teach them to defend themselves. Legolas listened, somewhat amused, to hear that they didn't think themselves very good at all. But Aragorn was a patient teacher, and he encouraged them on. After that came Boromir, who began to teach Merry and Pippin how to use the swords they had been given.

"Good," Boromir said encouragingly after sparring with one of the hobbits.

He turned to another one, which then began the same thing. Aragorn sat off to the side, giving helpful instructions, while Frodo and Sam watched along with Gandalf and Gimil smoked on his pipe. Legolas could smell the fumes. Frodo seemed lost in his thoughts, and Legolas was gratefully resting, for he suddenly felt very tired and old, older than he had in a long time. There was a sharp clang of metal, and one of the hobbits yelped, Pippin he thought.

"Oh sorry," Boromir said.

Instantly the two hobbits sprang at him, managing to tackle him to the ground. Other than that they didn't seem to be doing much to the wide shouldered Gondorian. Boromir laughed a little as the hobbits indignantly attempted to hold him down. Legolas heard Sam stand from where he was sitting and look up.

"What is that?" the hobbit asked.

"Nothing," Gimli said. "it's just a wisp of cloud."

Boromir shoved the two hobbits gently off of his chest, turning his eyes towards the sky as well. Aragorn stood, and so too did the elf, turning his eyes towards the sky. He could vaguely make out some sort of shape. The whole Fellowship was now looking towards the sky.

"It's moving fast," Boromir said. "and against the wind."

"They are birds of some sort," someone mused, but Legolas was concentrating too hard to try and guess who.

Legolas looked closer at them, and his sensitive ears began to pick up shrill cries on the air, definitely the cry of birds. He peered closer, trying to see them. They appeared very raven like in shape, but their cries were too shrill. Suddenly he recognized them, and gave a shout to the others.

"Crebain from Dunland," the elf warned.

"Hide," Aragorn cried.

The entire Fellowship dived for cover, and someone quickly put out the fire they had made. Legolas managed to find a small sheltered area under a few rocks to hide under, praying that he was far enough out of sight. The birds wheeled overhead and screeched, and then continued on their way, flapping hard to return from whatever errand they had been sent on. The flock soon looked to be nothing more than a wisp of cloud in the air, and the Fellowship carefully made their way back into the open.

"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf said. "The passage south is being watched." he seemed to grow grim suddenly. "we must take the pass of Caradhras."

The Fellowship nodded, and turned to the high mountain pass over their heads. It was snowy and most likely treacherous to pass over, but they knew they must follow the wizard. They turned towards the Misty Mountains and made their way up onto the snowy mountains. By the time they had reached the foothills, night began to fall, but they marched on, hoping to pass quickly over the mountain. The snow began to deepen and they began to labor uphill. Legolas marched along up front, closer to Gandalf as they went along.

As they were walking the elf heard as suddenly Frodo lost his footing and fell down the mountain, ended abruptly with a somewhat painful collision with Aragorn's legs. The elf turned back towards them, and the others paused as well. Boromir stopped and picked something up, and Legolas heard the others freeze. He had a good guess what it was.

"Boromir?" Aragorn called. The Gondorian didn't move.

"It is a strange fate," Boromir said. "that we we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing."

"Boromir," Aragorn said. "Give the Ring to Frodo."

The Gondorian froze suddenly, as if broken free from some sort of spell. The chain on the Ring tinkled a little in the wind. He paused, looking down at Frodo, and then walked towards him, holding out the Ring.

"As you wish" Boromir said. "I care not."

Frodo quickly snatched it from the larger man. The Gondorian paused and then laughed a little, ruffling the hobbit's hair. He was attempting to break the ice a little, to make everyone not be so on edge. But Legolas could see his outline grow a little brighter to his eyes. The Ring was taking him. He heard Aragorn removed his hand from the hilt of his sword.

"_You see?_" the Ring's voice whispered. "_It is already breaking them. You should rid them of my burden. It would be the kind thing to do after all._"

Legolas made a great effort to ignore the Ring, and instead listened as Boromir made his way up towards the rest of him. No one moved at first, watching the Gondorian. But at last Legolas turned and followed the man further up the mountain, and the Fellowship seemed to awaken from some sort of dream. They turned as well and moved onwards, following the man and the elf up towards the peak. Legolas didn't want Boromir to fall under the control of the Ring, but neither could he trust himself near it. So the two of them stayed up front, allowing Gandalf to pass and lead them again.

The higher they climbed, the harder the snow fell. The flakes began to blind them and fall into their eyes. They found it harder and harder to move onwards, until eventually they were moving in a straight line. Boromir was carrying two of the hobbits, and Aragorn the other two. Gandalf was forcing a path through the snow, and Gimli was trying to help the wizard though the snow passed far over his shoulders. At one point, Legolas swung up onto the snow's surface and walked lightly and surefooted across the surface, while the others found themselves waist deep or higher. The others called for him to come back, afraid that their blind elf would fall off the edge that was precariously near. But he could hear the wind whistling loudly over the edge that was near him and kept the Fellowship from venturing too close to it when they could not see it through the snow.

Legolas made sure to keep near the Fellowship and test the ground carefully with his foot, for the snow was hard in places and slippery. However, he was naturally surefooted, and though he scared the Fellowship a few times he never once lost his footing. Not that this helped much, though he scouted ahead as best as he could without wandering away too far. Soon they were all stiff from the cold and tempers were beginning to wear thin. The dwarf started muttering something about him walking on the snow. However, then Legolas froze and listened hard, his sensitive ears just making out words on the wind.

"There is a fell voice in the air," the elf cried to the wizard.

"It's Saruman," Gandalf cried as well.

High overhead there was suddenly a loud rumbling sound that could be heard. Huge boulders suddenly broke overhead and came rushing down towards them. The elf instantly heeded this and grabbed Gandalf, pulling him up against the side of the mountain in a single leap. They all hardly took cover before the rocks came tumbling down.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain," Aragorn shouted as loud as he could over the wind. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

"No," the wizard cried, suddenly sounding very scared.

The wizard shoved the blind elf behind him up against the rocks, as if to protect him, and then stepped forward. He walked to the extreme edge of the cliff and began to shout words back into the wind with his staff raised, trying to counteract the spell that the white wizard was using against him. The Fellowship could do nothing in this battle between two wizards and watched the gray wizard very nervously. Legolas felt Gimli's hand on his arm, as if to steady himself or the elf. He wasn't quite sure but he was a little surprised at it.

A crack of lightning from above as it hit the mountain side announced that the gray wizard had not been successful. The sound was very loud to the elf's ears, and he winced. Then he heard the snow falling and turned his head upwards. Huge drifts of snow hit them hard, and Legolas and Gimli were separated as the snow fell. The elf was swept forward slightly, and he feared he might fall from the edge. But he stopped and soon he had wormed his way out of the snow again. He gasped for air once he had come up and dragged himself out of the snow. He listened in relief as he heard eight other similar gasps of breath. They could have been swept over the edge or died from lack of oxygen. As it was, Legolas had to move very carefully as to not fall off the edge of the cliff, for his was very close to it. They all dragged themselves, gasping, out into the open air. They turned to Gandalf.

"We must get off this mountain," Boromir called. "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the West Road to my city!"

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard," Aragorn cried. Both men were trying to shelter the tiny little hobbits as best they could from the elements.

"Gandalf," Gimli cried in a reminder as to what he had said earlier. "If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria."

There was silence a moment as the wizard thought. It was obvious to all that the wizard did not want to take that road. Any road but that one would suit him fine. But he felt that he had no other option. Unable to decide, he looked up.

"Let the Ring bearer decide," the wizard said.

Frodo was silent a moment also, terrified at the idea of leading the entire Fellowship on this course. He glanced over them all, at his friends nearly buried in snow and the men still clinging to them, at the wizard and the dwarf covered in the fine white powder and fighting not to shiver, and then at the elf who had nearly fallen from the edge of the cliff. Did he truly want to lead them astray?

"We will go through the mines," Frodo at last announced.

"So be it," the wizard said quietly. Legolas could only wonder slightly at the remark.

But the course of the Fellowship was now set, and they didn't have time to wonder at it. Slowly Legolas made his way over to the rest of them, and they began to make their way back down the mountain and towards the mines. The voice they had heard fell silent now, content to allow them to make their way back down the mountain. It made the elf very nervous. What on earth could that mean? Did Saruman want them to go down the mountains and into the mines? What horrors could possibly await them there? The elf wasn't sure, but he knew that they would soon find out.

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**So in the next chapter we will enter the mines, and things will only get more heated from there. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you'll stay tuned for the next one. Things are going to get more and more interesting from here on out. **

**So leave a comment below if you'd like, and I'll write more of this soon. :D**


	6. The Ring's Voice

**We're getting closer to the mines, where stuff finally starts to happen. ;) Things will get more interesting from here. I hope you're enjoying the story so far.**

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**Comments: teruhi (I'm glad you're excited, because things are only going to get more crazy from here on out) BlackMinx17 (Aww thanks for the kind words. I had to take a little bit of a break but I'm now posting more lol, because you couldn't tell) Guest (Thank you for fixing my spelling of the two names. I tend to type fast, generally around 40 wpm, so I don't always catch all the mistakes as is probably obviously evident to those reading. If I have time I will go back and fix all the spelling, though I don't see why you had to review just for that) Ireland Ranger (Thanks! Glad you like it, and glad that my practice writing is paying off.) lotrlover16 (Glad you love it and I will definitely post as quickly as I can with this one) and lastly DeHobbit (Glad you like the story, and I'll update as much as I can. I love you too random stranger who has commented on my story. XD Thanks again for being the first to review. It means a lot.)**

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**Thanks so much you guys! I've hit ten following, 8 favorites, and 6 reviews! It means so much, and makes all of the words I type much more worth it! Anyway, let's get to the chapter and past this extremely long author's note. Also you'll notice as it goes along that mostly this world is inspired by the movies, but I will take some inspiration from the books as well. I know some things are out of order in the battle in the Mines of Moria, but I just decided to take a creative leap of faith and change it up a bit. Hope you don't mind too much.**

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The trek down the mountain was easier, but it didn't ease Legolas' suspicion any more than it had been earlier. If fact, sensing the grim mood over the wizard, it only got worse. The Fellowship made their half frozen way back down the mountain side and to the ground. The blizzard began to ease its wrath with every step they took, and the numbness began to leave the Fellowship's limbs. Again the elf kept closer to the edge, feeling better himself that he was ensuring that none of the others would fall and die or be lost in the snow. The Fellowship of course only found that this made them more nervous for fear of losing their elf the same way, but they began to realize that he could tell where he was going somehow, and that he was surefooted enough to not fall. It was no secret to any of them though that they were very glad to feel the earth warm and green under their feet though.

The sun had risen again, and they were all glad to feel the warmth of it seeping into their bodies again. The wizard granted them a little time to rest and shake the numbness from their bodies, which they were all grateful for, because the clothes they had was not thick enough for the cold on the mountainside. But soon the wizard had them up and walking again. Even Gimli, the stout dwarf was beginning to feel the weariness of the long trek wearing on him. However Legolas, though he too felt tired, was not showing the signs of it and was quickly up. The others quickly followed the example of the tireless elf, too tired themselves to complain. With a quick glance around and confirmation from the elf that there was indeed no enemy near by, they stood and followed the wizard again on another route to find the door under the mountain.

Night had fallen again on another day as the Fellowship carefully made their way under the great walls of the mountains. There was a thin strip of land that led towards the doors, because just past the doors was a murky lake that none of them could see into. Nervously Legolas glanced towards the bottom and thought he saw a glimmer of light from within the water. He paused, but turned and walked away. Aragorn's quick eyes though did not miss the elf's hesitation, and now looked toward the lake as well. They all went to the door.

However it soon became increasingly apparent that Gandalf did not know the password, or truly did not want them to enter into the mines. He could not come up with the password to open the door. The elf's mind was more preoccupied with the water however. This time he was growing more and more sure he had seen something, and gazed into the darkness. Every now and then he could catch a glimpse of light at the bottom of the lake, which was no comfort. Sam noticed and came over to the elf as he continued to stare into the water.

"What is it?" the hobbit asked.

"Something lurks within the water," the elf replied.

A sudden splash nearby made the elf wince. He paled slightly as he continued to watch the water. But there was no indication that the creature within had moved. He heard as Aragorn caught the wrist of the hobbit that had been throwing rocks into the water.

"Do not disturb the water," the Ranger warned strongly.

Thankfully the tiny hobbit listened to the man, and it went silent again. Legolas' eyes did not leave the water however. He was standing near the edge, and he was sure that he had felt the slightest ripple of the water as it washed over his feet. He continued to gaze into its depths. But the water was so dark it was impossible to tell if anything had stirred within. He continued to gaze at the water until he heard Frodo speak up behind him.

"It's a riddle," he said. "Speak friend and enter. What's the elvish word for friend?"

"Mellon," the wizard replied instantly, because the elf was still watching the water intently.

There was a great sound of rock crashing into the ground, making the blind elf wince as the noise hurt his sensitive ears. He turned towards the mines and looked. He was surprised to see that he could make out the darkness within. He could see the structure of the building faintly. A sense of foreboding fell over him again. The dwarf began to go on and on about the great hospitality that his cousin would show them as they all stepped forward, trying to rub it into the elf's face. The hobbits however could see the elf's hesitancy and paused as well.

"Mithrandir," the elf called. The wizard paused and looked at him. "We should not be here. There is great darkness in these halls. I can see it in the very stone we walk upon."

The others began to look around as well too now. Even the dwarf fell silent a moment, pausing at the sense of urgency in the elf's voice. They realized by now that they could trust his instincts beyond their own, as well as his eyes. Now those that could see could make out the signs of a battle that had been fought long ago. The Gondorian paused in horror, and the fear came across his voice as well sharply.

"This is no mine," Boromir said. "It's a tomb."

Gimli gasped in horror and grief as he looked around, crying out fiercely and making even Legolas wince at the sound. The blind elf knelt a moment and felt a corpse, silently asking the spirit to forgive him. Then he found the shaft of an arrow and pulled it out, running his hand gently over the tip. It was still sharp, and he knew the shape of it well.

"Goblins," the elf cried to the others.

They all drew their weapons, and Legolas stood, preparing his bow to fire. They looked around wildly, fear beginning to sink into them. They all knew that the orcs and goblins would not abandon this place so easily after they had won it. The darkness was their domain.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir cried. "We should have never have come here."

The man of Gondor began yelling for everyone to get out, but Legolas had paused, hearing another sound as well. Through the panicked breaths, the cries of the man, and the nervous feet, Legolas heard an unearthly scraping sound, of something long and slimly slipping across the stone. The man, seeing the elf pause, thought that he was confused. Boromir reached out and grabbed the elf's arm, trying to pull him out with the others. But then there was a loud yelp of terror from Frodo, and everyone had turned.

In horror they had seen that Frodo's foot had been caught by a long, black, and slick tentacle coming from within the water. Legolas silently cursed himself for not knowing that something would come towards them from the water when he had seen it, for the creature glowed brighter than anything else near here. Sam managed to cut Frodo free, only to have more tentacles from the enraged beast reach out to throw them down and grab poor Frodo again. However, by that time the rest of the Fellowship was in motion to save the tiny hobbit.

The two men rushed forward with vicious snarls towards the fray, chopping away the tentacles as quickly as they could to reach the hobbit and save him from the strange creature. Legolas began to shoot his arrows at the creature under the surface, able to see some of its large expanse under the water. Gimli remained in the mines, too upset about his father brothers to help, and the wizard gathered the other three hobbits. The three hobbits looked up with surprise and wonder to see their three larger companions fighting with such ferocity. They had only seen Aragorn fight before, and then they could not fully see him fighting. But here they saw the same fierce bravery as they had before against the Ring Wraiths of Sauron.

The creature's head emerged from the lake, and even Legolas could see it was an ugly and dangerous thing. It held the tiny terrified hobbit far over its head, dangling him dangerously. The elf began firing arrows into the creature's face, successfully stopping it from dropping the hobbit into its open mouth where razor sharp teeth waited. Aragorn then at last found the creature's tentacle that held Frodo and cut it off with one swing. The hobbit fell into Boromir's waiting arms, and the Fellowship turned to flee the only way they could.

"Into the mines," the wizard cried.

The elf let all the others pass in front of him, covering them as they entered into the mines. The creature followed him through, dragging itself out of the lake. It reached up to grab the sides of the tunnel and pull itself farther inside, and Legolas felt as Aragorn grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the creature. Nearly instantly the roof overhead collapsed and buried the creature, killing it, but also blocking the only close exit. The darkness enveloped them all, and there was no light.

Now Legolas could truly see the caves around him, but the sight gave him little comfort, for he knew that it meant that there was darkness all around them. Too much darkness. He could already feel the darkness tugging at him. But he ignored it and looked around, seeing the dark shapes of the Fellowship framed out to his eyes. He saw as the wizard moved and more darkness surrounded him as he lit the tip of his staff and gave the others some much needed light. The elf quickly checked his quiver by feeling it and sighed a little to himself. He'd used nearly half of them against the creature outside. He'd have to save them now.

"We now have but one choice," Gandalf said. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard, there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."

He glanced towards the elf, giving him a very meaningful look. The others looked as well and noticed instantly how much paler the elf looked. It worried them suddenly. This place was full of darkness, and the poor elf couldn't stand much more darkness. But though they worried for their friend, they knew that they had little choice but to try and lead him out of this place. They turned one by one and followed the wizard and he took them into the mines slowly, they passed over a precarious bridge, and the wizard looked over his shoulder at them.

"Quietly now," he warned. "It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence will go unnoticed."

The way he said it only served to make the elf much more nervous, and the others along with him. The elf noticed instantly that though he had been in the rear before, the two men instinctively let him pass and then stood in the line behind him, refusing to let him farther back. They kept him firmly closer to the center of the group and kept a careful eye on him, acting suddenly very protective of their elf companion. Legolas did not show any sign to them that he had noticed and instead followed the line of hobbits and the dwarf in front of him after the wizard, and all of them tried their hardest to be as silent as possible.

It was impossible to tell what time of day it was within the mines, for no light came through at all. They had to trust that their bodies knew the time though they did not, and so they slept when they were tired and ate when they were hungry. They traveled farther than they might have if they had been within the wild, but here in the darkness even the elf had no guess as to the time. They climbed up a long set of narrow and steep stairs. The elf marveled at how easily the dwarf seemed to walk up them. For a people with such short legs they had no trouble with such high stairs. At last though they stopped at the top and looked around. Here Gandalf paused.

"I have no memory of this place," the wizard said with a slightly perplexed sound in his voice.

The others all sighed and sat down, because none of them had any clue about this place at all, even Gimli who had been here before. The elf turned his eyes to the darkness beyond, and paused as he saw movement among the darkness. It was very faint, and hardly visible to his eyes because the darkness he was seeing was barely darker than the stones around it. But he recognized the shape of the creature Gollum. His eyes widened a little as he saw him but he did not raise the alarm, for the creature backed away quickly.

He heard as Frodo quickly went to Gandalf and mentioned seeing the creature as well. After a little conversation in which again the elf was impressed with the wizard's wisdom, the hobbit then admitted that he did not want the burden of the Ring. Legolas pitied him. He truly did. He knew the darkness of the one Ring and its master well. But the wizard quickly allayed the hobbit's fears and then looked up, announcing that he had figured out the way to go, and told Pippin to follow his nose if in doubt.

Gratefully the others all stood and followed the wizard farther inside. They marched forward tiredly until at last they had reached a large cavern. Here the wizard stopped as the elf looked up in wonder. Even before the light was extended so that the others could see, he could already see the great halls of the dwarvish city. The others fell silent as they looked up as well, and wonder fell over all of them. The city of Dwarrowdelf was truly a sight to see.

The elf turned his eyes away first and noticed a great spot of darkness, where sunlight came through a hole in the roof. The dwarf looked that was as well, and then gave out a horrified gasp. He rushed that way, and the elf instantly leaped off after him, confused at seeing the usually so sturdy dwarf so upset. The others all saw this as well and leaped off after the elf and the dwarf, calling for them to stop. But the dwarf ran right to a large slab of stone and fell to his knees, crying out in a loud and heartbroken voice. The others all paused, unable to read the dwarvish script. But Gandalf read it as he walked in, very sadly.

"Here lies Balin," the wizard said. "son of Fudin. Lord of Moria. He is dead then. It's just as I had feared."

The dwarf's head hit the stone and his helm gave out a loud thud, but he grieved silently now. The elf carefully scanned the room, now beginning to grow nervous. The wizard knelt and picked up a large book, of which large sections of pages fell to the ground. The wizard opened it and began to read some unsettling last reports in the book. The Fellowship began to become more and more nervous.

"They are coming," the wizard said.

Nearly instantly there was a loud crash that made the elf wince painfully and the others jump badly. The skull of a dwarf clattered down a long mining shaft in the room. Then to add insult to injury the rest of the corpse followed with the chain and bucket still attached to it, making it clang loudly all the way down until it at last stopped somewhere. They all turned to look and found a very sheepish Pippin looking at them all. The wizard angrily closed the book with a slam and crossed the room to him.

"Fool of a Took," he cried. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity."

They all winced at the insult, and the hobbit looked like he was about to apologize when he noticed the elf freeze. From deep within he had heard as something began to move and screech loudly, orc screeches. Instantly the others knew as well though as they heard the loud booming of a drum from within the deep. They all stood their horrified for a moment, rooted to the spot at the horror of the hordes that were now descending upon their location. They had no time for indecision however.

The two men and the elf quickly ran to the door to barricade it, flimsy though it was. Boromir peered out and managed to pull his head back in time to not get shot in the face by an orc's arrow. He quickly slammed the door shut and turned to the others, sighing in desperation and with a slightly annoyed attitude.

"They have a cave troll," he told them. Legolas understood though why he sounded that way. Because things weren't already bad enough without the cave troll.

The elf shoved the hobbits quickly back towards the wizard, who shepherded them behind himself gently. Then the elf began to toss axes and other things he could find to the two men, who were busy trying to give the Fellowship as much time as possible. Gimli jumped up on the tomb of Balin, brandishing his axe angrily.

"Let them come," he called. "There is one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!"

The elf and the two men backed up as well, pulling out their weapons and facing the door. Legolas strung his bow and pointed it at the door, seeing the mass of orcs gathering behind it. Their darkness combined was very bright to his eyes. The already battered door shook and rattled as the orcs pushed against it, and their weapons began to make holes through the door. Legolas released an arrow through a tiny hole, killing one of the orcs. Another arrow that belonged to Aragorn went through a larger hole and struck the throat of an unfortunate orc that fell screaming.

But the door was forced open at last and the Fellowship suddenly broke apart to fight. Legolas knew that they were at a disadvantage. None of them had fought together before. Their fighting styles were completely different. And they didn't know how to fight with one another. But there was no time to think, only act. The elf put away his bow for a moment and pulled out his twin blades, spinning them expertly in his hands before leaping forward onto another orc. The two men, the dwarf and the elf got easily into the pulse of battle. The wizard was fighting hard to protect the four hobbits, and the hobbits were stabbing at orcs to give the others time to fight. But then with a resounding crash, the cave troll came lumbering in, led by the chain around its neck.

The creature didn't look too dark, but mostly because it was far too stupid to be very evil at all. It walked in, crushing more of its comrades with sluggish swings of its club meant for Aragorn than actually doing any damage to any of the Fellowship. Legolas hardly manged to jump out of the way, but then had to turn his attention back to attacking the orcs around him. Few a few minutes it went on like this, with the elf dancing in his deadly steps to kill the orcs that came too near. Then however he found that there were few orcs left, and then he heard a sound that chilled his blood.

Frodo started yelling for help from Aragorn, and then Sam screamed in horror. Frodo had been speared in the chest by the troll. Legolas paused a moment, thinking that the sound was not right at all, but then he heard Merry and Pippin leap up onto the Troll, trying to protect their friend. Boromir and Aragorn attempted to help but were tossed to the side, and the creature threw Merry and Pippin off. Then its eyes locked on the blind elf, and Legolas tensed, sliding his blades back into place.

He heard Aragorn call out his name in a warning, and the troll to the chain in its hand, swiping at the elf. However, Legolas could hear the chains as they came close and managed to dodge them though he couldn't see them. Then he quickly immobilized the troll by pinning its chain around one of the pillars.

The troll was too dumb to try and get away and simply stared at the elf stupidly as he leaped nimbly up onto the chain and ran up onto the troll's shoulders. The rest of the Fellowship watched, scared for the blind elf as he dodged the troll trying to grab him. Legolas pulled out his bow and notched two arrows, shooting them at the troll's skull. They bounced off his head, which was as hard as rock. The elf quickly leaped off, rolling in front of the troll and stopping, pulling out another arrow. The rest of the Fellowship called out warnings to him, thinking he was about to die then and there as the troll ran at him. But the elf shot an arrow into the troll's open mouth. The troll paused, trying dumbly to feel the shaft of the arrow now sticking out of the top of his skull. The elf leaped away to avoid being squished under the weight of the troll as it fell to the ground dead.

Slowly they all stood and made their way over to Frodo. Their hearts were heavy, thinking that they had failed very early in their quest. But as Aragorn lifted the hobbit he gasped for air. Their surprise could grow no further, but Legolas was glad that he had been right in thinking that there was something off to the sound.

"He's alive," Sam said, close to tears.

"You should be dead," Aragorn gasped in relief and shock. "that spear would have skewered a wild boar!"

Frodo opened his shirt to reveal a shirt made of mithril, as light as a feather and as tough as a dragon's hide. The elf knew the sound of it well, for his father still sometimes made shirts of it from the jewels from Erebor. Legolas sighed in relief, but then again began to listen as he heard the sound of distant drums. Gimli made a remark about how full of surprises the hobbit was. But then Gandalf called them back to their senses and led them running out of the room.

As they ran, orcs began to pour out of no where and climb down the pillars, the whole population of Moria coming to attack them. The elf felt despair as he looked around and saw the masses of orcs. It truly was a terrible sight to behold. And he knew that there was no way out of here. He pulled out his bow and stopped with the others, shepherding the hobbits into the center of a protective circle. They all prepared to fight and meet their untimely demise. But then to their surprise the orcs suddenly stopped and fell silent, listening. Legolas turned and followed their eyes, freezing in terror at the sight of the darkness before him, illuminating the halls brighter than even the eye of Sauron. Heat blasted over them.

The orcs began to scream and then turned and fled, leaving the Fellowship to survive the coming evil themselves. A low growl ruptured through the air, making the Fellowship tremble. The elf though paled and felt cold shivers running down his spine from the pure evil of the creature before him. He had never seen or felt anything like it, for it was a demon as old as the earth itself. Gandalf turned and saw the terrified elf, and the rest of the Fellowship turned and stared at him. They had never seen such pure terror in his eyes before. They called to him, but the elf was unable to move.

"What new devilry is this?" Boromir cried, terrified at seeing the elf so scared.

"A Balrog," the wizard said, making the elf shudder. "a demon from the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run! Quickly!" The elf seemed unable to move. The wizard grabbed the elf's shoulder, making him look at him. "Run Legolas. Run and do not look back. Do not look at it. It's darkness is too powerful for you. Run! Hurry!"

The elf paused a moment more, then turned and dashed away as quickly as a frightened deer. The rest of the Fellowship couldn't keep up with him, but they dashed after him as well. They were terrified of the beast, and knew that they had to escape. In the darkness, the Ring seemed to reawaken and began to whisper to the elf.

"_The wizard will fall,_" the Ring whispered. "_They will blame you. You cannot escape this fate. The Balrog's darkness will claim you. You cannot keep running._"

But the elf was too terrified to do anything but run. He prayed that the Ring would leave him alone, but it continued to whisper to him. He could feel it dragging him into the darkness. But he wouldn't give in, not yet. He had to ensure that his friends would escape at least.

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**And in the next chapter things get really hectic. Sorry for the random cliff hanger. I'm working on the next chapter right now which will unfortunately have another cliff hanger. Sorry, but I hope it's still enjoyable to read. **

**I will say that it's really difficult to not explain how things and people look for me. I tend to like to explain as much detail about something so that you can tell exactly who I'm talking about even if you don't remember the name of a character. But with Legolas being blind then it gets even harder because I physically can't. That's probably one of the most challenging things about this story for me.**

**I hope you enjoyed, and feel free to leave a comment below. **


	7. The Fellowship's Choice

**Here we go with another chapter. Maybe if I have more time I'll update the stories and fix the spelling of Sauron and Rivendell, though when I tend to type too fast I tend to misspell a few things. I will fix that soon I promise.**

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**Shout out to BlondeFanatic who is following!**

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**Anyway, here we go with the next chapter where things get even more crazy. Also, I've obviously changed some things to fit better with this story.**

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Legolas ran on, not daring to turn and look behind him. He was beyond terrified of the beast. Its darkness was threatening to swallow him and he could feel it. All the while the Ring was whispering strangely soothing things into his ears, and he wished it would just stop. But he ran on, heeding the wizard's warning. He came at last to the edge of some stairs with a rather large jump, and he could hear the others still running up to him. He knew that he had to help the others to get out, even if he did not escape, which he felt was becoming more and more close to the fact. So quickly he leaped across the gap and turned back to the others. They called out to him, warning him against turning to face the creature, but he kept his eyes planted firmly on their dark shapes, even though he winced and trembled at the sound of the Balrog's angry snarl. He put his bow away.

"Gandalf," he called, his voice sounding somewhat weak.

The wizard immediately understood and leaped across the gap into the elf's arms. Legolas may have been trembling and freezing, feeling very sick suddenly, but he wasn't going to let his friends fall. He kept his footing easily and released the wizard, turning to face the others. Gandalf backed up to make room, nodding for them to come across. Arrows from orcs began to fly at them, and some of them came fairly close to their feet, but the elf was unafraid of the arrows, for in their fear the orcs were becoming bad shots, and none came close enough to give him any pause.

Boromir grabbed Merry and Pippin and leaped across as well, trusting the elf to catch him. The elf quickly reached out and steadied the man, who frowned upon feeling how much the elf was trembling, but set the two hobbits down. Legolas turned back in time to see that Aragorn had grabbed Sam by his pack and tossed him across the gap into Boromir's waiting arms, and then turned to Gimli. The dwarf indignantly informed the man that nobody was going to toss him, and then leaped. He came up a little too short, and would have slipped and fallen if the elf hadn't leaped forward and grabbed him by the beard. Obviously it hurt, but the dwarf was unharmed and survived to tell another tale. Legolas looked up as a huge rock came crashing down, and Aragorn and Frodo managed to scurry out of the way just in time. They turned back and found the gap far too wide to jump across.

The Balrog again snarled and pushed hard to try and free a space big enough for its enormous body to fit through the door that was already quite large. The elf shuddered at the sound, and the wizard carefully blocked his view of the creature with his shoulders so he would not directly see the creature, hoping to help him escape unscathed. Another rock fell from the ceiling and crashed into the stair case behind the man and the hobbit, and the rock beneath them began to give way and rock freely. However when the Fellowship feared for them, Aragorn took charge of their destiny, telling the hobbit to lean forward. They did, and the huge rock came slowly and steadily towards them. Legolas prepared himself, and the two of them jumped. Aragorn crashed painfully into the elf's chest but Legolas caught him, and Frodo leaped forward to be caught by Boromir.

With great relief the Fellowship turned and ran onwards, hearing the huge rock crash down towards the ground far below. They ran on, and the elf felt a little better in knowing that his friends had a much better chance of escape now. They ran on towards the bridge, with the wizard trailing behind them. They carefully crossed the bridge towards the other side, making sure not to fall on the narrow bridge. The wizard paused in the middle, turning to face the Balrog, and the creature came crashing forward at last. Frodo called out in terror for the wizard, and the elf began to turn around to look on instinct. But Aragorn quickly grabbed his friend and clapped his hand tightly over the elf's eyes and holding him to his chest so that he wouldn't look. The elf didn't fight the man.

He heard as the others gasped in horror at the creature before them, fearing suddenly for the wizard but being terrified of the huge demon. They all turned to look at the elf, scared that he would be looking at the creature and finding himself faced by too much darkness. But the man was carefully keeping the elf from looking at the creature, and though he visibly trembled he didn't try to pull away. They felt very relieved that the elf wasn't looking at the creature. A giant whip and sword was held within the creatures hands as he roared at Gandalf, a sound like crackling fire. The wizard however snarled back.

"You cannot pass," the wizard cried.

The creature snarled at the wizard's impudence and stepped forward, pressing one great foot onto the bridge. The rest of the Fellowship backed away a little, terrified, and the elf grew more nervous. But the wizard snarled and refused to let it pass. The Fellowship watched in alarm, wondering what on earth the wizard was doing.

"Go back to the shadow," the wizard snarled in a commanding voice. The Balrog menacingly snapped its whip in the air, and the wizard raised his staff and sword together over his head. "You shall not pass!"

With a crack it connected to the stone beneath him, sending a small shock wave of light. The creature snarled and ran towards the wizard. But the stone cracked under his weight and the Balrog suddenly with a roar fell into the giant chasm beneath the bridge. Aragorn released the elf, and he looked up towards Gandalf. But the Balrog wasn't going down without a fight. As the wizard turned away the great whip cracked. Legolas gave out a cry of warning as the whip wrapped around the wizard's ankle and pulled him overboard. The wizard looked up at them, but he saw that the orcs were now trying to kill them with more vigor, and he knew that they would have to leave.

"Fly you fools," he told them, then let go before anyone could jump forward to catch him.

They simply stared a moment, unable to believe that their guide and main source of strength had fallen towards certain death. Then the hobbits gave out cries of disbelief and tried to run forward, only to be stopped by Boromir who was too quick for them. He lifted the two hobbits, and luckily the other two, loyal little beings, followed. Legolas and Gimli turned and ran away as well, and Aragorn soon followed when he was called by Boromir. They all escaped to the sunlight, which now seemed much too bright and cheerful when they had lost so much within the mines. Legolas stopped by the doorway, breathing heavily. His heart was heavy, and though the Ring had stopped whispering to him, he felt sick and freezing still. He had helped his friends escape, but only most of them.

The hobbits mourned and the dwarf and Gondorian watched them with pity. Aragorn however instantly sprang forward.

"Legolas get them up," he cried. The elf could not bring himself to move from the door however.

"For pity's sake," Boromir cried. "Give them a moment!"

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs," the man cried, and seeing that the elf was unwell called for Gimli to help him. "Frodo!"

The man and the dwarf went off after Frodo, and the other three hobbits were crying but standing on their feet. Boromir turned and looked at the elf. There was great sadness in his heart, and suddenly he felt angry for no reason. He lashed out at the elf.

"Why did you not go save him?" Boromir demanded. "You were fast enough! Why did you not catch him before he fell?"

The man of course did not mean what he had said, but he felt bitter and angry over losing the wizard, whom he had only just begun to know. He turned away from the elf in anger, starting to walk away. Legolas felt a great burden on his heart, and his grief over losing Gandalf only doubled. The man's words had wounded him deeply, because he had been wondering the same thing. Only now, hearing it spoken out loud was too much to bear for the elf's already shattered heart. The Balrog's darkness had proved too much for him after all. With a gasp he fell to the ground.

Boromir had heard a gasp like that only once before. Once when he had been training, the man who had been training him had saved the son of the steward from certain death by taking an arrow that had been meant for him. It was a gasp of someone who was dying and had accepted that fate, but could not remain silent because of the pain. It froze the Gondorian's blood, and he turned in horror to find the elf on the ground with his eyes closed, shuddering badly. Quickly the man ran over and as gently as he could lifted the elf's thin frame off of the ground, surprised at how light he was. Immediately as he touched the elf, he felt that he was ice cold and growing noticeably colder still. He was trembling badly, though no sound left his lips and it was quite obvious that he had fallen unconscious. Even though the man had no idea what was going on, he understood that something was not right with the elf, and he feared for him.

"Aragorn," Boromir cried.

The terror in his voice made the rest of the Fellowship turn to see what was wrong, and they all gasped in horror to see the elf in the man's arms. Instantly Aragorn sprang forward and ran towards his friend, fearing the worst. As he knelt down and touched the elf's forehead, his fears were instantly founded, and he felt all color drain from his face. The last of his hope was suddenly shattered. The dwarf and the hobbits quickly ran over as well, looking at the elf.

"What's wrong?" Gimli gasped. "What's going on?" For a moment, Aragorn was silent, unable to bring himself to tell them that they had lost two to the mines.

"The Balrog's darkness was too great for him," the Ranger said. "He is passing into the realm of the Wraiths. Soon he will become a Wraith."

For a moment, the Fellowship was frozen in yet more horror, unable to believe it. The looked down at the elf, and suddenly they feared for him. They remembered what he had said, to kill him before he became a Wraith. But after everything they had been through together and everything they had survived they couldn't do it. They couldn't bring themselves to lose another to the mines. It seemed wrong that the fair elf should die here, when they had seen him smile only once before. They grew determined suddenly, and they looked up. Even Boromir who had not liked the elf at first, could not abandon him to this fate.

"Is there no other way?" Frodo asked. "Aragorn, can we not save him?"

The Ranger paused, and looked up in surprise. He hadn't expected that at all. He looked around at the eyes of the rest of the Fellowship, puffy and red eyes from their grief, but determined to not lose their friend to the darkness that already surrounded him if there was any hope that they could save him. He thought a moment, and they waited nervously.

"One," he said at last. "Though I do not know if he will survive the journey. It is two days from here, but we can try. We must take him to Lothlorien, to Gladriel and Celeborn, the Lord and Lady there. They are wise old elves, and full of light. If anyone can restore him from the Wraith realm, it is them. But the chance is slim, very slim. He might not make the journey and even then they might have to kill him rather than let him become a Wraith."

"We must try it," Frodo insisted. "If we have any hope of saving him then we must try. We cannot lose him as well. Not now."

The Ranger nodded to the hobbit, showing him that he understood. Then he stood and motioned for the others to follow him. Boromir quickly picked the elf up, slipping him onto his back and sliding his arms over his legs, leaning forward slightly so the elf's head was on his shoulder and he would not fall from his perch. Gimli threw a blanket from his bedroll over the elf as an afterthought, and then they both turned and followed the Ranger and the hobbits as they ran onwards.

As he ran onwards, Boromir began to understand how the elf could walk atop the snow and leap such long distances, because he hardly felt his weight on his back at all. He followed the Fellowship easily as they ran. The Fellowship pressed on though they felt fatigued and were hurting all over. They knew that they could not waist a second of the elf's precious time. He had little. They went as quickly as they dared, seeking to escape the mines and bring the elf closer to where he had a hope, even if only a small one, of surviving.

They ran on long after they probably should have, thinking only of trying to save their friend. At last though, the Ranger knew they had to stop for the night and told them to get some sleep long after the sun went down. No one was really willing to stop and get some sleep. They feared that the elf would either be dead or trying to kill them when they were asleep, and they wanted neither because one would be torture for the elf and the other they did not want to think about. Either way they would lose the elf and that was the last thing they wanted now. But the Ranger assured them that he knew the elf well, and he would most likely still be there when they awoke. They all set out their bedrolls and settled into and exhausted but uneasy sleep, and all of them wrapped their blankets around the elf in hopes that it would help him somehow.

When morning came they got ready early and ignored their growling stomachs, hoping to reach the forest. They found that Aragorn had been right, and that the elf was indeed still there. He was still pitifully cold and silently suffering, but the extra warmth seemed to have done him some good. He wasn't so pale or cold anymore. Boromir lifted the elf again and they packed up. Soon they were off and running again to take the elf into the woods of Lothlorien, hoping to get him there in time to save him.

By noon the forest had come into view, and the elf's condition had worsened again. They ran on though into the trees and kept running. Lothlorien was a beautiful place, full of wonderful bird song and trees, but none of the Fellowship took in the beauty now. They kept glancing fearfully back at the elf, fearing that they would not see him awaken again. None of them spoke, but Aragorn led them fearlessly forward.

Suddenly they pulled up as from out of the trees came elves, surrounding them with arrows trained on their heads. One stepped forward, and Aragorn leaped forward towards him, speaking to him quickly in elvish. The others managed to gather enough information to tell that the elf's name was Haldir. The elf looked grave when Aragorn told him of what happened and turned to look at Legolas. The elf's face paled when he saw the Prince of Mirkwood, but he acted quickly, whistling and calling out a name.

From out of the trees came a fine white horse. The others stared at the horse, for few of them had seen an elven horse so fair. It was sturdy and built for both stamina and speed. The fine and intelligent face of the horse surveyed them all with interest. He worse some sort of harness that was used to keep the elves from falling off his back, for they forced no bits or saddles on their steeds, and they listened to words rather than the harsh turn of reigns.

Something else was said between the man and the elf, and then Aragorn walked over to Boromir. He carefully took Legolas and walked over to the horse. While any other beast would have run screaming in terror from the elf that was part Wraith and part elf, the horse only paused a moment, before, to the astonishment of the Fellowship, turning the other way and offering his back. Aragorn laid the elf gently on the horses back as Haldir patted the horse's face and gave him a command. The horse sprang away quickly and the Fellowship watched helplessly as it carried their friend away into the trees and disappeared with no other rider. Seeing their worry, the elf explained.

"He will drop no one that I command him to carry," he said. "Do not fear for Legolas, for these borders are well protected and he needs to be taken with all speed to Lady Galadriel." he looked them all over a moment, then motioned for the elves to put down their weapons. They obeyed and he turned to them. "We can promise nothing, but the Lady will do what she can for him. He may die this night. He is very weak. But come, she is waiting."

And with that the elf turned and led them into the woods of Lothlorien. Their hearts went out to their elf friend, and they wished him luck on the hard journey he had ahead of him.

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**I know you're all going to hate me for this cliff hanger, but there you go. Another chapter tonight. I hope you guys are enjoying the story, because it's really fun to write! Anyway, leave a comment below telling me what you think of the story so far. That horse was inspired by the horse described in the book that saved Frodo from the Ring Wraiths as he ran towards Rivendell. **

**I was listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack and inspired to create this chapter. Who knew music could be so powerful right? xD**


	8. The Reunited Fellowship

**So I'm updating again with another chapter, because I guarantee all of you that I hated that cliff hanger as much as all of you and I can't stand it. So I'm updating so that you know what happened. This chapter covers the span of a few days, so I hope it doesn't get too confusing.**

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**Shout out to mjg43 (Yeah I've never read about Legolas being blind before either, and it's really hard for me to write! Thanks for reading anyway and liking. :D it means a lot)! Thanks for that favorite and follow too! Also thanks to mpaulson for following!**

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**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. I've gotten a surprising amount of support for this story. I didn't think many people would read it because of how different it was, and I also thought some people might not like it because it was inspired by another story. I hope no one gets mad at me for that, but when I'm inspired stuff just kind of happens. ^^" I also added something kind of interesting to this chapter.**

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When the Fellowship arrived in Lothlorien, they couldn't make themselves relax no matter how much the elves insisted they rest from their long journey. It felt like forever since they had left Rivendell, but already they had lost Gandalf and were possibly losing Legolas as well. The wait for any answers at all was agonizing for the remainder of the Fellowship. Boromir grew more and more sad as the days went by, thinking that somehow what he had said had forced the elf over the edge. The others tried to assure him that this wasn't the case, but none of them had hope at all that the elf would survive. Elves scurried to and fro to help their Lord and Lady, and the Fellowship stopped them to ask about their friend. But the answer was always the same. He had not awoken yet and he had not stirred. Their hope was fading fast for him, and after more days, though it was impossible to tell hope many more here, they stopped asking and simply waited for the news that the elf had died. It seemed impossible that he would survive after he had survived so much. And they couldn't blame him for it. It would be mercy.

Aragorn began to tell the others fond tales he had of Legolas when he had first met him as a child. The elf had always hid well behind a mask and kept his emotions a secret. He followed the orders of his father and did not disobey him. Even when he became blind, the elf was still this way, strong and full of power. He did not fear the darkness but a few times when despair would take the better of him. He often came to Rivendell, where Elrond attempted to help him but was unable. They learned that the elf could be playful and disobedient at times as well, like a stallion that was well mannered but fierce. They learned that the elf was very patient and held his tongue, and that he was fiercely loyal above all else. This they realized they had seen in the mines when he had turned back to them and insisted that they leap across the ledge where he could catch them. Even terrified and knowing very well that he could die, he had not let a single one of them fall. They listened to Aragorn's tales both amused and sad, realizing that they would probably never get to see the elf again.

Even Lord Celeborn and Lady Gladriel were beginning to feel that there was no hope for the Prince of Mirkwood. But as they saw the downcast faces of the Fellowship their hearts went out to them, and they knew that they could not give up hope of the elf, because they had not given up hope on him. They needed his survival as much as they needed to see Gandalf again, because they could not stand yet another blow. Still, the elf proved more resilient than they thought. And one day around noon he at last opened his eyes and looked around.

The first thing he noticed was a warm weight on his chest, and he instinctively looked down. He paused because he could see the creature. It was not full of darkness, but instead full of such pure and beautiful light, so much so that he was more light than anything else around him. He could clearly see a dark black silhouette of the creature, a wolf. It was a large wolf, around four feet tall to the shoulder, and he had never seen one that large. The creature was male, and had long and soft fur. It brushed against the elf's neck as the wolf breathed. Legolas shifted slightly, unsure of the creature, and its head and ears came up. Upon seeing the elf awake, the wolf's ears laid back and its tail began to wag, as it reached forward and licked the elf's face a few times, whining slightly at the elf. Legolas reached up and laid his hand on the wolf's head, thinking to himself that the wolf somehow seemed very familiar.

Celeborn and Galadriel had not been very far away, and when they heard the wolf whine they instantly sprang up and ran into the room. They froze at the door as the looked at the Prince, who looked exhausted and very confused, but otherwise still himself. The two elves smiled and then crossed the room, sitting down in the chairs beside the bed. The elf turned his eyes to him, for he could see their light as well, slightly dark silhouettes to his eyes even now. They smiled at him though they knew he would not see it. Their light was bright as well among the elves, but the wolf's was still brighter. Celeborn reached out and stroked the wolf's head a little and the wolf settled down again with his head on the elf's chest still, though his tail continued to wag and he whined happily every now and then. Galadriel reached out and laid her hand gently on the Prince's face, and he looked up at her now.

"Hello my young Prince," she said gently. "Do not worry. You and your Fellowship are safe now. They are resting here among the trees. It has been a few days. Ah you gave us a scare Thranduilion."

"Your Fellowship brought you here to us as fast as they could," Celeborn said. "They saw that you were fading but they would not let you be lost to us. I don't think they could take it either, for we all lost much within the mines. You remember, do you not?"

Sadness crashed into the elf again, and he looked up towards the ceiling sadly. He did indeed remember, and he missed the wizard terribly. But he was also surprised at the actions of the Fellowship. He had told them to kill him if he should have begun to become a Wraith, which obviously he had. And yet they had run here instead? To save him? He hadn't thought that they would risk so much for him. But obviously they had been very shaken to lost the wizard and had not wanted to lose another as well. His fierce loyalty overcame his sadness again, and he looked again to Celeborn.

"How are they?" he asked. Both of the older elves smiled when they heard this, knowing that he had again returned to normal and that he would be alright once again.

"They are worried for you," Celeborn replied. "They have not slept much, though we have gotten them to eat. They are simply waiting for news, though they do not have much hope for you. We will send Haldir along to speak with them, and they will relax now that they will know that you will be alright. Though you should rest. Most of the darkness has now left you, for your light is strong and so is your spirit. But this evil will not pass from you for a while yet."

"I know that it is a lot to understand right now," Galadriel said gently, laying her other hand on the elf's face as well. It was a motherly gesture, and a very gentle one. But she had once been a mother as well. "But you are safe here. Do not fear the gathering darkness now. Be only surrounded by the light."

Legolas did not try and fight her. He knew it would do no good. But he was so full of questions. He had to ask some of them. He settled instead for looking down at the wolf again, who wagged its tail and whined at him again. Celeborn saw him look and smiled again, patting the wolf's head very gently. He knew that this news would certainly cheer the prince up much more.

"You know of course," Celeborn began in explanation. "that elves can be reborn if they so choose. Just as the spirits of men and dwarves can linger in some place until released into peace, elves may do the same. Sometimes they choose to be reborn, to right some wrong or undo some evil, or any number of things. This wolf is one of those elves, and he knows you well, and I think you know him too. You see while he was alive his light was also stolen from him, so he was reborn as a wolf full of such wonderful light, as if to make up for such a terrible loss, or perhaps to help you. Who knows? He cannot tell us why, for he has no voice. He died in such a horrible way that he now looks to follow you again, for he did this once as well. You know him, and his light. For he was there the day you saw Sauron."

Legolas froze and looked down again at the wolf, disbelief in his eyes. He now recognized the light well, for he had helped to train the younger elf. It was an elf that had been named after a great elf from long ago, though the Silvan elf had bore no resemblance to the other elf. Legolas still remembered that day in vivid detail, and the pain of it still haunted him. The wolf seemed to sense this and began to lick the elf's face again, whining to tell the elf that it was alright.

"Angrod?" Legolas gasped.

Angrod, the elf that had died that day because of the darkness within his heart. The wolf's tail wagged harder and he licked at the elf's face more gently, soothingly. Celeborn and Galadriel both smiled, and he could make out as they nodded their heads in confirmation. But the elf needed little confirmation other than his own knowledge of his friend. Legolas suddenly lost all of his composure. For so long he had been alone with the quilt and knowledge that his friends were dead or lost because of him. But now the wolf had come to him and he couldn't keep the joy or sadness off his face. The elf began to cry, unable to stop. The two older elves simply smiled at him, both sad and happy. Sad to see him upset, but happy to know that the prince was no longer alone. Angrod instantly began to lick away the salty tears, trying to calm the elf.

"Yes it is Angrod," Galadriel said comfortingly. "He has returned to serve the prince that he once did. He is here to stay Thranduilion. And he will follow you on your journey. So rest now. You are exhausted, and you need to sleep."

She reached out and laid her hand on Legolas' forehead, entering his mind. Instantly he stopped crying and his body relaxed. He fell asleep once again and did not stir. Silently the wolf laid his head down again, and Angrod did not leave his Prince's side. Celeborn laid the elf's hands down by his sides again, then on a second thought laid one of his hands on the wolf's back, knowing it would comfort him. Galadriel smiled and placed a small kiss on the Prince's forehead. Relief was in their eyes, and they quietly stood and left the room again, feeling much happier than they had in a long time. Upon stepping into the sunlight, they called for Haldir. The elf soon ran up, worry in his eyes, but Celeborn smiled and held up his hand.

"Peace Haldir," Celeborn said. "Do not fear. It is good news this time. Go to the Fellowship and tell them that Legolas has awakened and is now doing well. He will recover."

"He must rest now," Galadriel said. "But we will send him to them when he is recovered enough. Tell them this, and let them rest at last."

The marchwarden looked at them with wonder and amazement in his eyes. But there was joy there as well to know that the Prince of Mirkwood would survive after all. He turned instantly and sprang away, knowing that he soon must reach the Fellowship to tell them the good news. They would be overjoyed to hear it. He ran on without talking to anyone else who tried to stop him, not even his own two brothers. He ran on instead to find the Fellowship.

He found them as he had always found them, at their tent, where they had been sent by Galadriel once they arrived. He paused to catch his breath, looking over all of them. They were all so sad looking, and his heart went out to them. But he knew that soon there would be cause for them to smile and be merry again, as well as the other elves of Lothlorien, who did not fear the darkness within Legolas as the people of Mirkwood had, for no darkness entered here but what darkness they allowed. And they did not fear the Wraiths. The elf at last sighed and stepped forward towards them.

Instantly once they saw him they all sprang up, looking at him. He paused, looking into all of their eyes and seeing that they were worried and tired. But more than that he could see despair forming in their eyes. He held up his hands and looked at all of them. Then he at last began to speak. Though his face held no emotion, he wanted badly to smile.

"Peace," he told them. "Well, it seems that the strength of Mirkwood runs deeper than we thought. It is rare to see a Silvan bloodline mixed with a Sindarin bloodline, for we did not know what would happen. But it seems the children of such lines are blessed with the strength of the Silvan and the blessed light of the Sindarin, as well as the courage of both. We have seen it before with others, but not to this extent." He paused a moment. They seemed perplexed, but Aragorn knew he was talking about and his jaw fell open in disbelief. Tears sprang to his eyes at the thought of what the elf was saying. Was it possible?

"Speak plainly," Boromir sighed but without malice. He was too tired of this. The others seemed the same way. Haldir met Aragorn's eyes and then he smiled, his eyes twinkling brightly.

"Legolas will survive," the elf told them, and he only smiled broader at the gasps of relief from the Fellowship. "He is very exhausted, and it will be a while before he recovers. But he will be fine. The darkness has not claimed his heart or his soul. Lady Galadriel promises to send him to you when he is strong enough. Now she bids you rest your weary minds and relax. You need not be so worried any longer. You will see your elf again."

The Fellowship was full of questions, but the elf had no other answers for them, and so he waved them away and told them to rest. At last, though it was still day time and light was all around them, they obeyed their weary bodies and laid down to sleep. They were all asleep within moments and the elf smiled, then returned to tell everyone the good news that the prince would recover at last.

Another day passed before Legolas woke again. The elf was soon greeted by Galadriel who brought him food and drink and waited by his side like a mother would with a sick child until he ate all of it. Angrod had been out of the room, and quickly ran back in when he saw the elf sitting up and awake, leaping back up onto the bed and laying down beside the elf. Legolas smiled at the wolf, glad to know that he wasn't alone, and he stroked the wolf's head a little. Galadriel took the empty dishes from him.

"Still so full of life," she said. "You have faced more struggles in your young life than many of us. And yet you still fight to face the evils around and inside you. You are strong Legolas, and for that our people will always look to you for guidance. You are the elf that fought on and showed loyalty to others when by every right he should not have. Like Arwen is the Evenstar, and a light to our people, from this day forward I call you the Morning Star. It is a darker star, but a star with a much greater legacy to leave behind none the less. You will counted among the greatest of our people. Though you were named after an elf before you, none shall forget Legolas Greenleaf, Thranduilion, of the Fellowship of the Ring."

Legolas paused as he looked up at the Lady of the wood. He had no words to say. For so long he had been surrounded by people who had feared him for being what he was. He still could not understand how the Fellowship would have fought so hard for the life of an elf that they had seemed to hate when they first met. But to be loved for what he was? The thought had never once crossed his mind. But it suddenly touched him all the same and he felt grateful for it. He nodded to her and managed a small smile.

"My heart cannot believe it," he said. "But I thank you for your words all the same."

"Your heart cannot believe it now," Galadriel said with a small smile. "but it is true all the same. You will one day realize this as well. But come. You must bathe now and let your sore muscles disappear. We will leave new clothes for you as well while the rest of your clothes is laundered."

The elf nodded his head in thanks, and Angrod leaped down. Galadriel helped the elf to his feet, but he was strong enough to walk alone. She led him to Celeborn, who took the elf and led him to a spring filled with steaming water and a stone table nearby. The Lord of Lothlorien then turned and left again, though Angrod sat nearby. Legolas quickly stripped down out of his clothes and folded them on the table and stepped into the water.

It was warm and soothed his tired and sore muscles. Tensions that he hadn't realized he'd had relaxed from him at last as he let the blood, gore, and dirt drift away from his skin. It was very soothing, and he wasn't sure how long he'd stayed in the water. His skin did not get wrinkled in this bath after all, for it was filled with elvish medicine and made his skin seem as smooth and well tended as it had within his father's halls. His hair began to shine again as well, its beautiful golden color surrounding the air around him. He stepped out of the water and dried his body and hair on the towels he found lying there, and then paused as his hands found the clothes.

They were silk, as elves were very fond of wearing, and though he couldn't see it, it was the color of silver and though it was simple for an elf of his high bearing, it was still fair. He slipped them on, and he knew that he would not look the same to the Fellowship. None of them but Aragorn had ever seen him in such fair attire, and they would not believe it was him. He slipped on the silver boots as well, knowing that he would be rude to refuse what had been offered him and he couldn't run around naked. He found the long comb and combed out his hair carefully. It had been taken down, but now he pulled his bangs behind his head again into the braids of a warrior.

Once he had finished, and his hair was smooth again, Celeborn returned. He smiled at the elven prince, for he himself had almost forgotten how fair the Prince of Mirkwood was when he wore clothes that were not dark as his people tended to favor. Carefully he walked over to the prince, and Legolas paused as he noticed he was carrying something in his hands. But Celeborn wouldn't let him wave him away and placed a silver circlet on his brow.

"This is not my home," he said. "I have no need to wear this here."

"Perhaps not," Celeborn replied with a small smile. "But you are as precious to us as you are to your father. We will send word to him as we are able to let your people know that you are faring well on your journey so far, for none have them have left for the undying lands. They will not until your part in this tale is complete and they hear of your victory or your demise."

"I thank you," Legolas replied. "But I still do not think-"

"Enough," Celeborn said gently. "My Lady should like you to accompany us and get some fresh air. So should you not look your best?"

At last Legolas laughed and relented, seeing that there was no point in arguing with the older elf and that he was going to look like a prince whether he wanted to or not. Celeborn led the prince back to the very beautiful Galadriel, who then stood between both and wrapped her arm around Legolas' so that he was escorting her though he really had no idea where he was going. He found this slightly amusing.

For a moment they walked on in silence and said nothing, simply enjoying one another's company. They were all of course of royal stature, and elves moved out of their way with smiles and slight bows of their heads. All three looked very proud and fair suddenly, for even Legolas came of a high breeding of elves and looked at home here as much as Celeborn and Galadriel. Angrod followed at Legolas' side, as if guarding him.

They walked together and spoke of things with light hearts, for there was no darkness reaching here, and Legolas felt at ease. They walked for hours with no destination in mind, but their tread was light and their hearts were glad in the company. They didn't notice the hours as they passed by, but at last Galadriel stopped and turned Legolas to a side path.

"There is where the Fellowship is," she said. "I do not know how many remain there now, but there is where you would find them. Go now and put their minds at ease."

Celeborn and Galadriel silently left the elf there, and he paused. But Angrod walked in front of the elf, so he followed the wolf's tread down the stairs and to a place where the wolf paused. The elf listened a moment. He didn't know where the others were, but he recognized Gimli's breathing as he sat there, thinking to himself. He could sense the sadness in the air of this place, and with his heart so light he couldn't let it remain that way. He smiled and laughed. The dwarf turned to him in surprise, but didn't seem to recognize him at first, so the elf spoke.

"Didn't I tell all of you to kill me if I should begin to become a Wraith?" he said. "And yet you brought me all the way here. I thank you for that."

For a moment there was silence. The elf couldn't see the dwarf, but he could hear his breathing change as he fought to retain his composure and not to cry. The dwarf stood, and he tried to sound angry. But he couldn't manage it.

"You gave us all a scare," the dwarf cried. "We thought you were going to die and we were going to lose two in the mines of Moria! Right at the start of our journey. But here you are standing here and...standing here... it's good to see you laddie."

It was quite a lame ending, but the dwarf had no words to say. He was surprised to see the elf in such attire, glad to see him, and wanting to be angry but only able to be relieved. He glanced down at the wolf at the elf's side, but he said nothing. The wolf glanced at Legolas, and seeing that the elf wanted to go to the dwarf, stood and led him down the small path to the dwarf. The elf followed the wolf as he had before with Aragorn on their journey, and the dwarf understood this because he had seen it before. The elf touched his chest in a show of respect for the dwarf, though he knew the dwarf was ignorant to his customs.

"It's good to see you as well," the elf said. "Come then. Do not be so sad and lonely. Come see the glories of Lothlorien, since you have eyes to see them."

"You want me to come with you?" the dwarf asked. He was surprised to see the elf in such a good mood and wanting to be in his company when before he had been so cruel to him. But the elf seemed to bear him no ill will and only laughed.

"I would not ask if I did not," the elf said. "Come now. Let us go enjoy the day while we may."

Somewhat confused, but glad to see the elf in such a good mood, the dwarf readily agreed. Soon the two were walking together and talking. They spoke of nothing in particular, their conversation ranging from where they had grown up and the people they had known in those days. They talked of their fond memories of the places they had grown up. They talked for a long time about all of the things they liked, and the found that they weren't so different as their people had once made them assume. This, coupled with the long battles they had fought and survived in together even to this small point, began to spark a friendship between the two. And once they realized this, they only laughed as they realized that it would have happened either way. Then Gimli mentioned that it was getting dark and they should return, so they made their way back to the Fellowship.

The elf followed Angrod carefully back towards the others, and they all looked up when they heard the high clear laugh of the elf accompanied by the deeper more hearty laugh of the dwarf. They were surprised to see Legolas looking so fair and in such a good mood. But they were even more surprised to see that the elf and the dwarf were getting along. They glanced towards the wolf and then looked away, realizing that it was no threat to them. They all turned to the elf and he looked towards them. There was a few moments of awkward silence, before the elf's clear laugh brought them back into the present state, and they couldn't help but laugh too.

"Legolas," Pippin suddenly cried.

He and Merry launched themselves off of a rock and landed on the elf's chest, both managing to hug him without smashing their heads together. The elf laughed and caught them before their weight fell completely onto his thin shoulders. Sam huffed in an irritated sort of way.

"Will you two ever act your age?" he asked.

"The Fellowship would not be the same if they did," Frodo said.

At that mention, the members of the Fellowship suddenly fell silent and did not speak. Sadness seemed to descend upon them as they thought suddenly of their lost wizard. The elf carefully put the hobbits back down on the ground and looked over all of them, smiling.

"Come now," he said. "Gandalf would not want us to be so sad. We must rejoice while we can, because soon our path will lead us into dangerous lands again."

"When did you become so wise?" Aragorn asked in surprise.

"I am no more wise than I was before," the elf laughed. "I am simply more at peace. So much darkness has left my heart, it is lighter now. I have despaired for too long. I would like to smile and be happy once again." Aragorn smiled at his elf friend.

"And perhaps that is the greatest gift that any could ask for now," he said.

"Now I would like to know," Boromir said, looking between the elf and the dwarf. "What happened here."

"Nothing much," the dwarf replied. "We just started talking and found that we had much more in common than we thought."

"Well we're glad to see you're not trying to kill each other now," Frodo said with a smile.

"And the wolf?" Sam asked, nervously glancing at the huge canine. Legolas smiled.

"This is Angrod," the elf said. Aragorn winced at the name but the elf smiled. "Yes it truly is Angrod. Sometimes elves can be reborn, and he chose to be reborn as a wolf. He was a good friend of mine, and now he will join us on our journey."

"How did he die?" Pippin asked.

Suddenly there was silence. Aragorn turned and his look suddenly silenced the rest of the Fellowship. It was a look of warning, and a slightly pained one. Pippin realized that he might have just overstepped a boundary that he should not have, and he began to apologize though he wasn't sure what for. However to their surprise, the elf held up his hand.

"No that is alright," he said. "I will tell you. He was there that day as well, the day when I became what I am now. He was the elf that died that day."

There was again more silence. The elf seemed distracted by the thoughts of that day, but not too distracted. The wolf whined at the elf and his mind returned to the present. He gave them a small, sad smile.

"Perhaps we should all sleep now," the elf said.

They all silently nodded and then returned to the tent like structure. They all laid down in the beds that had been given to them by the elves. Legolas turned his blind eyes towards the ceiling, lost in his thoughts for a moment. Angrod leaped up onto the bed next to the elf and laid his head down against the elf's side. Everything fell silent and soon Legolas could hear the breath of sleep from his friends and the snoring of the dwarf. He closed his eyes at last and gave into sleep, still feeling quite weak from his encounter with the Balrog. But his dreams were peaceful memories, and nothing like the nightmares that had plagued him before. The light of the wolf was powerful after all.

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**This chapter had kind of a rushed ending, so sorry for that. I hope though that you still enjoyed. This was a chapter with a light feeling to it. Legolas' encounter with the Balrog has made him stronger. So leave a review below if you feel like it. **


	9. The Wraith's Prey

**I love writing this story! It's so much fun for me! But you guys really seem to like it so I'll continue. Soon I'll set aside to time to proof read and fix everything so that it says what I want it to, and the spelling will be fixed as well. So I hope that makes everyone happy. **

**I won't let the characters stay long in Lothlorien, because there's not much happening in this part of the story. So now they'll be leaving in this chapter and continuing their journey with the Ring.**

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The elf was definitely in much better spirits than he had been before. His entire body language had changed because so much of the darkness had left him. With more light than the Fellowship had seen him with, he was much happier, and acting much more like an elf should. At times, he would still grow depressed, but he was in a much better mood, and they were glad of that. They passed a few more days within Lothlorien, gathering their strength and will to travel onwards. But one night, after Galadriel called for Frodo and the hobbit returned, Legolas woke and found the hobbit very bothered about something. He stood and walked to the hobbit quietly, not even waking the sleeping form of Angrod with his careful and quiet step.

For a few moments the elf stood silently behind the hobbit. Then he paused and stepped forward, sitting down by the hobbit. Frodo jumped a little and quickly made a move to hide the ring away from the elf's sight, as if guilty for touching it. The elf paused a moment, and looked at the hobbit. But his eyes were not accusing. He could see the hobbit's form beginning to take a darker shape and become visible to his eyes.

"The Ring's hold grows stronger over you," the elf said. Frodo paused, and then nodded.

"It does," he said. "I can hear it whispering to me. But it is so much worse for you, and the others as well. None of you can bear the darkness of it much longer."

"You worry for us?" Legolas asked. "Why?"

For a moment, the hobbit said nothing. He looked ahead, and then he turned to the elf. It was clear to the elf that he needed advice from someone. Normally he would have looked to Gandalf, but the elf was the oldest here, and Frodo needed the elf's wisdom. The elf could see this as he looked at him. He couldn't deny that the burden of now being the wisest in the Fellowship would not be hard on him, because he knew very well that it would. But he knew as well that it was his duty, both as the oldest member of the Fellowship, and as the halfling's friend.

"Legolas," Frodo said. "There is something I must do, but I'm afraid to do it. I know that none of you will like it, but I must leave. I have to take the Ring to Mordor, away from all of you before any of you get hurt. I know that you understand it's pain, because you bear a burden as heavy as mine. You can feel the darkness. I have to leave, do you understand? I cannot remain here."

The elf was silent a moment, completely surprised. He'd had no idea that the hobbit had been so set on escaping from them. But he could understand well the hobbit's burden, because he carried a very similar one. The thought made him sad, to think that the Fellowship was breaking apart before they could complete their quest of taking the Ring to Mordor. But he knew as well that the hobbit was right, and that it would only cause them all much more pain and distress. He looked down at the hobbit.

"I do understand," he said. "And know that we would have never forsaken you. We all would have followed you into the very keep of Sauron if we had to. But I do understand the darkness you carry, and why you do not want to endanger us further with it. If you must do this, then you must go. Though, I do not think this is the end of our journey. Though we may not go with you to Mordor, there are many fronts to this war, and many places to fight. We will simply have to fight on another. I wish you luck on your journey, and I will keep your secret from the others if you wish."

"I wish you luck as well," the hobbit said gratefully. "And please, keep it a secret, especially from Sam. He will not understand."

"I will help guide you on your path until we pass Amon Hen," the elf said. "Then you must travel quickly on your own and follow whatever path you think best, for there are no safe paths on the road to Mordor. Be ever alert, and forsake no help that comes to you, for there will be little on that road. But be wary of everything as well, for there is much evil in this land."

"I will do as you say," the hobbit promised.

For a moment there was silence as the elf and the hobbit sat there. They both knew that they would most likely never see each other again once they parted. The elf would most likely die before ever seeing Mordor, and the hobbit would be going to the most dangerous part of Middle Earth. Their lives were set before them, and they would most likely never see the end of the great battle they had started. But while they sat there, they both realized that they were fine with that. They would both fight until there was nothing left to fight with, if it meant saving what was good in this world.

Neither of them expected to return home, ever. They didn't expect to see their friends or families again. But somehow they were sure that they would survive and make the most of the time they had left. That they would fight and save this world, even if they never saw it saved themselves. Ah the bittersweet thoughts! They felt that good would prevail, even if they fell. The hobbit smiled sadly at the elf, tears appearing in his eyes as he thought of how strong he was.

"They will sing songs of us," he said. "They will remember us, even if we die. We will never be forgotten."

"Not just the people Frodo," the elf said, turning his head towards the stars. The hobbit looked up towards the sky as well. "The stars will sing of us, for the light we had in the darkness is strong, always. The memories of the skies will remember us, and we will be welcomed to the greater halls when we die. We will stand and fight. Even if we fall and our names are forgotten in time, there is no greater honor, than to have the light in our souls counted among the stars. Even if all the memory leaves the world and the stars burn out. We will always be remembered, beyond even the end of days."

The hobbit paused a moment and looked at the elf. There was such peace in his face as he said this. The peace of not fearing death because he knew what would come after. He feared the darkness, but he didn't fear for his soul. That peace settled into the distressed hobbit's spirit, and he felt peace as well. Silent tears began to flow freely down his face, and he looked away.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "For being here for me tonight. It will always mean the world to me."

The elf turned to the hobbit again, hearing that he was trying not to cry. Silently, though elves generally did not hug much as a rule, the elf wrapped an arm around the hobbit's shoulder and leaned him into his side, trying to give the hobbit as much comfort as possible. The tiny hobbit sighed and couldn't help but relax a little. Somehow this was just what he needed. He needed advice, but also the understanding that the elf that was part Wraith could give him. The silence was more soothing to his soul than any words that could be spoken. Because there needed to be no words spoken. He simply needed the silence and understanding.

"We cannot stay here much longer," the hobbit said. "We must continue on. The Fellowship must be broken soon, though the thought pains me."

"I think we should leave tomorrow," the elf said. "I am strong enough to continue, and I agree. We cannot remain in Lorien much longer. We will have to go."

"Then," the hobbit said, standing. "I thank you, that you have listened to me, and I bid you farewell. There will be no time for it when the time comes I think."

They both silently returned to their beds, careful not to wake anyone. Angrod shifted slightly as the elf returned, but he could feel the animal start awake a little as the elf sat down on the bed. The wolf eyed him carefully, but the elf gave him a reassuring smile and so the wolf let the elf settle back down again and curled up to sleep.

The elf and the hobbit did not fall back asleep that night. They both laid there, thinking of what was to be ahead. But soon they would have to part ways, and most likely for good. Legolas might not survive the oncoming storm, and the hobbit would probably die even if he did destroy the Ring. Still, the elf silently prayed that Frodo would forgive him as he made up his mind to warn Sam of it. He would not break his word by telling Sam that he would be leaving them, but he would warn him to stay close to his master. He would soon figure it out on his own. At least that way, Frodo would not have to bear the Ring to Mordor all alone.

Dawn broke softly over the Fellowship, and they began to wake. The elf sat up, noticing the tiny hobbit glance toward him nervously. But the elf showed no indication at all that he had seen the darkness in Frodo, or that he could see the hobbit at all. He stood up and walked outside, excusing himself and leaving to change. When he had returned, none of them missed the fact that he was now dressed in his light leather armor, ready to go again.

"Is it smart for us to go now?" Aragorn asked.

"I am strong enough," the elf replied. "And though Lorien is fair, we cannot stay beneath the trees much longer. Sauron is growing stronger. We must continue our mission before it is too late. There's too much at stake here."

"Yes," the man sighed. "You are right of course Legolas. Very well then. We will leave by noon. We cannot stay here any longer. Are we all agreed?"

Though none of the others were really ready to go, they knew that it was inevitable. They all nodded at last, and the Fellowship began making preparations to leave. It soon became apparent to the elves as well, for they began gathering together supplies for the Fellowship. The Fellowship all split up separately into the woods of Lothlorien, to silently enjoy the peace and beauty before they at last had to leave. Noon was approaching, and Legolas turned to return to the others at the banks of the great river. But someone else ran up to stop him.

"Stop, Legolas," Haldir cried. He grabbed the Prince's arm gently but firmly. "Please, you must not go. You must stay here. Your people cannot lose the last hope that they have, and I would not lose my friend." Legolas regarded the elf a moment and then smiled a little sadly.

"You fear the dark mellon-nin?" Legolas asked. Haldir paused. (my friend)

"Yes," the marchwarden replied truthfully.

"That is why I fight," Legolas replied. "That is why I must go. I too fear the dark, but I cannot suffer it any longer. I must fight it, and I will. I understand why you would wish to stay here. But if we do not fight then we will all fall, and the peace here will be destroyed. I could not let Lothlorien fall that way. You understand? I cannot. If I stay then I will hate myself forever."

"And if you go then I will hate myself," the elf cried. Legolas smiled sadly. What he was about to say may very well destroy their friendship, but he had to impress upon the elf that he would not be staying behind.

"Then hate yourself mellon-nin," Legolas said quietly. Haldir was silent, and the blind elf couldn't see his reaction at all. "I cannot stay."

With a sad heart Legolas turned and walked away without another word. He knew that most likely the elf would not forgive him. Then again, there were many who would not. So many friendships he had shattered in these 60 years! So many people he was leaving behind. But he could not stay behind. He had to help in whatever way he could find to help. It was his duty and his destiny. It hurt him to think of all of the hurtful things he had said and done in these last years. But he didn't think he would live long, or at least much longer in this war of the Ring. So he didn't care if they all hated him now, because he would not have to hear what they thought of him any longer. Such morbid thoughts had surrounded him for the past 60 years.

He found the rest of the Fellowship gathered together at the banks of the river, and Angrod greeted him with a slight whine, realizing that the elf was sad for some reason. But he joined the rest of his Fellowship. Quietly Galadriel began to give them all advice, and then began handing each a gift she handed Legolas a bow, and leaned forward to speak to him as she did, also handing him plenty of new bows to his quiver. He could see that there was light within it, for it was dark to his eyes, and the bow was strung with hair. He knew it's touch.

"This my dear prince," she said. "is a sturdier bow than those you carry, for they are made here from Lothlorien. It is strung also with my hair." the elf prince gasped a little in surprise at the wonderful gift. She kissed his forehead. "Take it my prince. Let it provide a protective light for you when the darkness gets too close. With this, I will always be with you, and my light will strengthen your own."

"I am honored," the prince said, bowing his head a little. "And I will take it gladly."

To Boromir was given a golden belt, and to Merry and Pippin silver ones. Sam was given some of the precious rope that he found so intriguing. To Frodo was given a vial full of light, so much so that even Legolas could see it. He thought the gift well placed, for he would soon be needing it. To Aragorn was given a beautiful star pendant that had once belonged to Arwen, and the elf smiled a little sadly at the man, knowing that it would be his only comfort for freeing the she-elf from his bond. To Gimli, she gave three long strands of her hair, and he accepted it gratefully. The elf smiled a little to think that the dwarf had asked of something both so little and so great. But Galadriel seemed to think very highly of Gimli since he was now friends with Legolas. They were also given plenty of lembas bread, which would provide them nourishment on the journey, and they were gifted three boats that were thin but sturdy and would carry them down the river.

Then the elves gave them all cloaks made of sturdy green material that would hide them in plain sight in any terrain, and they were fastened at the neck by beautiful green pendants shaped like leaves that would give them more ways to hide from their enemies, which they would all need. Then the Fellowship climbed into the long boats. Legolas and Gimli sat in one, with Angrod between them. Aragorn took Sam and Frodo, and Boromir took Merry and Pippin. Legolas was given the paddle, and Gimli assured the elf that he would tell him if there was any great danger to them, but that he trusted the elf at the helm. Soon they were off down the river, traveling away from the peace and back into the battle field. Elves lined the river to say goodbye to them, and to wish them luck. But Legolas did not pay any heed to them, because he realized that as he had feared, Haldir had not come to see them off. He smiled a little sadly to himself. There was another great friend that he had pushed away yet again. But then he turned to the task ahead of him, and steered the boat onward.

Soon Lothlorien was behind them, little more than a distant memory. Now the real world lay ahead of them. They couldn't just abandon their quest now. They had to go on. They traveled down the river for a while. Farther down the river however, Legolas looked up suddenly and looked around. A deep sense of foreboding had fallen over him, and though he saw nothing, it meat little to him. He knew that these banks were lined with trees. Whatever it was could be hiding or not yet here. But he knew to trust his instincts by now. He carefully steered the boat after the others to the bank and leaped down. As soon as he did he went to Aragorn.

"Something is here," Legolas said. "It draws closer. I can feel it."

"We will only rest here a while," he said. "Then we will go on. Hopefully whatever it is will not follow us long."

They did rest a while here, though they had not gone long. Aragorn had perhaps thought of staying here for the night, where it was still fairly safe. But at the elf's nervous behavior he had decided against such a thing. Now they would be moving soon, and the hobbits quickly made up the last of the hot meals they would be having for a while now. Everyone gratefully ate what was given to them, though they all noticed that the elf was nervous for some reason or other. He ate quickly, and at last Aragorn told everyone to return to their boats. They did so.

Soon they were going on a little faster down the river, following it's winding course onward and hoping to make it a little farther along. For a while there was silence, and everyone was focusing on driving the boats forward. The Anduin seemed to move quickly, as if hastening them on their way, but to what? The elf was growing more and more nervous, until Aragorn's voice called out to everyone.

"Look," he said, pointing at statues of two great kings that Legolas knew was ahead. "Long have I desire to look upon the kings of old. My kin."

Boromir and Aragorn both looked up with pride in their eyes. The hobbits stared with open mouths at the huge and old statues. They were beautiful and awesome at the same time. Gimli looked very impressed at the huge monuments of stone, and Legolas smiled because he could sense it all from all of them. He had seen the statues once before. It served to distract him a little. But then he turned his attention back to scanning the surrounding area. He saw nothing. At last though, they all stepped from their boats onto the shores of a lake that led to a large waterfall. This was as far as they could go by the river.

"We cross the lake at nightfall," Aragorn said as everyone settled down. Legolas however remained on his feet. "Hide the boats and continue on foot. We will approach Mordor from the north."

"Oh yes," Gimli cried sarcastically. "just a simple matter of finding our way through an impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks. And after that it gets even better! A festering, stinking, marshland, far as the eye can see."

Again Legolas felt the darkness and glanced around, but he could still see nothing. Damn these thick trees!

"That is our road," Aragorn replied. "I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, master dwarf."

"Recover my-" the dwarf began in an indignant manner. But he paused, as did everyone else, as the elf stepped forward.

"We should leave now," the elf said.

"No," Aragorn said, though startled to see the elf so earnest. "Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

"A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind," the elf said. "Something draws near. I can feel it."

There was silence suddenly, and then Merry looked up. He looked around then looked at the elf. They all seemed to have missed something important.

"Where's Frodo?" Merry asked.

They all froze and looked around suddenly. They hadn't even realized that he was missing. They found also that Boromir was missing, and the thought gave Legolas no comfort. What if the man had fallen and was now trying to take the Ring? The elf's face paled, and it was sufficient evidence to Aragorn that something was indeed wrong. He commanded them to all split up and look for the two of them, but somehow that thought made Legolas become very nervous. They all sprang away though to find the Ring Bearer and the Gondorian. But before they were completely gone, Legolas caught Sam's arm.

"Sam," the elf said. "You must find Frodo, and you are not to leave him. No matter what he says, you must go with him. It is very important! Do not let him turn you away!"

"Of course," the hobbit said, perplexed. "I won't. I promise I won't."

The elf leaped away with his bow ready before the hobbit could ask any questions that would make the elf reveal too much. His only thought now was to find Frodo and the Ring before the danger that he had sensed could overtake him. Aragorn would most likely find him first, because he was a great tracker. The elf ran on to try and find Aragorn or Frodo, and he heard Angrod following him dutifully.

They ran on for a while, dodging trees and rocks, looking for any sign of their friends. Suddenly however, the shadow in his mind loomed again, and he froze. There was the sound of a sharp twang, and Legolas silently cursed himself for not seeing the enemy. But instead of striking him, there was a high pitched yelp. He whirled around with a gasp, seeing that Angrod had fallen. The wolf made no noise and did not stir, and though the elf could see that he was alive, he still felt rage.

He saw the glowing Uruk – Hai, all with terrible bows and arrows. But he felt anger and lifted his bow, firing at them. He noticed instantly that none of them fired back, and instead approached him carefully with their blades raised. This confused the elf, and he continued to fire arrows, killing them. But more were beginning to come towards him now.

"Do not kill the elf," a commander cried. "Do not kill him! He needs to be alive!"

Legolas was thoroughly confused now. But he knew that they wanted to capture him for some reason, and he was not going to let that happen if he could help it. He heard more of them coming from behind him, and he whirled around to fight them. They caught the blind elf off balance however and pulled the bow out of his hands and the arrows from off of his back. The elf wasn't going to give up however and pulled his twin blades out of their sheathes, spinning them expertly in his hands.

He began to cut down any Uruks that came close to him, looking to kill them and find some escape. But everywhere he turned, there were more and more of them. They did not attack him, only sought to defend themselves. A few tried to grab him but the elf could see their dark taint and cut them down before they got the chance.

These were not mindless orcs however, and soon one of them had countered his strike with one of his blades and pulled the blade out of his hand. The elf yelped from the pain of having the blade ripped from his hand, and the other was pulled out of the other hand. Now seeing the elf disarmed completely, the Uruks rushed forward and quickly grabbed him. It took two of them just to keep him from struggling away, which was quite impressive given that their hands were large enough to wrap completely around his arm twice if they had the ability. They grabbed his shoulders to keep him still, and the other hands held his wrists so he could not pull away. The elf snarled and turned to the commander, who was much larger than even all of the others. He walked up and looked up at the elf.

Legolas tried once more to pull away, but the Uruk-Hai were too strong for him now that they had caught him. The commander stopped before the elf and looked at him.

"Well here we are," he said in his growling voice. "That's one down. It's not so hard to catch you once you're alone without your buddies. We'll be catching those halflings of yours too, and they'll be going to Isengard." the Elf snarled and tried harder to pull away but the commander just laughed. "Don't worry. You have your place as well. You should feel honored. The king of the Ring Wraiths would like a word with you."

Legolas froze as if ice had just covered his heart. So Sauron knew of him then now. He knew what he was, and he had sent the Ring Wraiths to find him. If he fell he could give him valuable information about the Fellowship, and that Frodo was now going alone to Mordor, along with the path he was taking. Then he would have to fight them, and he knew that the Fellowship would fail against him. More than falling and becoming a Wraith, this was what Legolas feared.

The Uruks laughed when they saw the elf's terror, and when he tried to pull away. In the distance the entire Fellowship paused and looked up as they heard the shriek of the Ring Wraiths. Terror gripped at them all, but none more than the elf.

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**Sorry for the random cliff hanger there. I know it sucks, but it builds dramatic tension. I will post the next chapter as soon as I'm done with it, which hopefully won't take long. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the random twist I added at the end. I had to change it up some to fit with the story of the fan fiction. Leave a comment below if you'd like. :D**


	10. The Twin Wraiths

**It's okay, here I am with the next chapter, which brings up some fairly interesting characters to the story line, but some of the most influential I think at least, at least to me as the writer of this fan fiction. Here's where it varies from the canon again.**

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**Shout outs! **

**Mjg43 (Thanks for your kind words) and Guest (I'm glad that you like the story, and don't worry. He will become braver as time goes on. Right now he's really confused and he's scared of the darkness. Also, just because he's scared doesn't mean he's brave. He turned to face the Balrog in the mines when it could have killed him right? He doesn't have to be fearless to be brave and that's one reason I'm writing him this way, because there's not really a hero ever that's fearless. He will eventually face his problems more, but as for him not being scared it's not really ever going to completely happen. He isn't as strong because he's still not completely recovered from the Balrog and he's probably not over the fear of it either. I hope this clarifies. This is revealing his more vulnerable side that we don't get as much in the movies, and not as much in the books either. Sorry. I hope I haven't offended you.)**

**Favories: Airebender42 and Ashrain5!**

**Following: Airebender42, Ashrain5 and dorianya!**

**Thanks guys!**

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**Anyway, on to the chapter, because I know you've been waiting for it. Also I am aware that most of this would not translate into the black speech, but it's a basic translation to make more sense to the reader. And because I don't want to try and translate it. xD**

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Legolas felt like a trapped rabbit, waiting for the dogs to tear him apart. He was absolutely terrified. He didn't want to see the Wraiths again. But then he thought wildly of the hobbits, and that the Uruks wanted to take them to Isengard. Isengard! To the enemy! More than his fear for himself, he felt the need to save the hobbits. But he could not now, captured. If the Ring Wraiths found him then it would all be over. He had to run, to escape. His fear came back to him and he shuddered.

He heard as Angrod's breathing changed. The wolf had woken up, and the elf prayed that he would remain still and not die, though he knew he wouldn't. The wolf was going to try and protect him. But Legolas couldn't lose him again! Not after just finding him! The wolf though snarled and leaped to his feet, ignoring the arrow in his side. He leaped up and onto one of the Uruk-Hai holding the Prince. The creature let go instantly, screaming and trying to pull the wolf off of himself. Then suddenly Merry and Pippin leaped out of a bush, looking at their friend wildly.

"Hey, hey you," Merry cried.

"Over here," Pippin added quite unnecessarily.

"No," the elf cried to the two hobbits. "Run!"

But they continued to jump up and down in a wild attempt to distract them and set the elf free. Most of the Uruk-Hai followed after the two halflings, and they run away, hoping to give Legolas time to run. Another Uruk-Hai grabbed the elf before he could bolt and kept him still. Legolas watched the retreating form of the Uruk-Hai after the hobbits helplessly. Why did hobbits have to be so stupidly loyal? He tried again to pull away, but again was unsuccessful. He shuddered as he heard the cry of the Wraiths again, growing much closer.

The elf and the remaining Uruks paused as they heard a sudden battle cry and Boromir leaped out of the forest. He killed one of the Uruk-Hai holding the elf as the wolf, completely forgotten, leaped upon the other. Legolas was suddenly free, and the elf paused as the two began killing the rest of the Uruk-Hai. The commander retreated for now, not willing to face all three of them at once. The man quickly ran to the elf and grabbed his arm gently, shaking him out of his surprise.

"Legolas," Boromir said. "You must run. Go! I will help the hobbits! You must run! If the Wraiths catch you..."

He trailed off and didn't finish, but he didn't have to. Legolas paused, looking at the man and the wolf. Angrod was too wounded to follow after the elf, and Boromir was already running off to help the hobbits. The wolf would give him as much time as he needed. The cries of the Wraiths sounded even closer, and the elf shuddered. But then he turned and leaped away into the forest, praying that his friends would be alright but knowing that he had to run now.

He was as swift as a deer, and swifter than most elves. But he knew that he could not outrun the horses of the nine. Vain though it was, he knew that he must try to escape for his friends. If he did not then he would become nothing but a liability for them from this moment on. He ducked under the trees that he could not see, his instinct driving him down the correct path though he could not see, and the trees creaked and moaned to him in warning if he got too close, for they could speak. It was with this knowledge that he could avoid them and keep running quickly.

He heard the cries of the Wraiths and the thunder of their horses' hooves, and they were now right behind him. But they seemed to be acting very carefully around the elf, being as gentle as possible, for he had information they needed and he was already practically their ally. Their horses were gaining on him, pulling up beside him carefully so that they could reach forward and take him.

The elf thought suddenly of his father and the people he had left behind. Would they hear of this? Surely they would when he was there upon a black steed to kill them all. The thought bolstered his need to escaped suddenly, and he slipped onto his back and slid under the roots of a great tree that were up a bit and down a little hill. The Wraiths shrieked in anger, which the whole Fellowship could hear. It made them shudder, and suddenly they all understood why. The Wraiths were after Legolas, not the Ring! They all cursed themselves for being so stupid and leaving Frodo as well as Legolas alone. What if they lost them both now?

The elf hit the ground and instantly took off running again, for the Wraiths had to regain control of their startled steeds and then turn them to follow the elf again. This gave Legolas a little bit of a head start. The elf was following his ears now to the sound of the water. He had resolutely made up his mind. They would not take him. If he could evade them once then he could do so again. He would not betray his friends. Not now. Not after so much. If there was no escape for himself then he would make one. He would drown himself in the river, for the horses would not be able to follow into the deep Anduin. There he would end his stupid curse and remain true to himself and his friends.

The thought hardly bothered the elf, though it did sadden him for the thought of his friends. They would be very sad. He hoped that they would understand why he was forced to make such a decision. But in times like these, he would rather die a hero than become one of the many villains under the command of Sauron. If this was all he had left, then he would do this one thing. He hoped they saw it as selfless, as they did Gandalf.

"I do this for you," he whispered to the wind though no one heard. "I do this to give you all time, and to protect you all. Forgive me for this choice then."

The elf had made up his mind. There was no changing it. But then he heard another cry as the Ring Wraiths began to close again. Another cry, higher in pitch and fairer in sound, but still that of a Wraith. The nine nazgul shrieked in anger in surprise, and Legolas shuddered to hear as they spoke and could understand their speech.

"_It is the Twin Wraiths,_" one cried. "_They have returned!_"

"_The rogues,_" the other cursed. "_We must catch the elf before they do! They will set him free!_"

"_Curse their elf blood,_" another cried.

Their conversation confused the elf, and yet he had realized it long ago. Two Wraiths had followed them for a while once they had left Rivendell, on very elvish like horses. Because they were elves. Oropher and Saeros turned into Wraiths. It seemed that somehow they had escaped Sauron's influence. And now they were returning to their prince. Legolas wasn't so sure how he felt like that. But soon he heard among the heavy foot falls of the nazgul's horses, the lighter footfalls of elvish horses. They were black as night, though the elf couldn't see them, and the two "Twin Wraiths" as they were called wore all black. But they had had physical form, that of elves, because they were creatures of light. Though they had fallen, they would never truly become Wraiths.

The elvish horses were much faster than the steeds of the Wraiths, and so they bounded easily ahead. The nazgul shrieked in anger, but they could not outrun the two horses. One of the two Wraiths leaned down and grabbed Legolas' arm, pulling the very confused and frightened elf up onto the horse with him. He put the elf in front of himself, and held him with one arm like he was afraid that the elf would panic and try to run. He probably was afraid of that because he was so dark. But though the elf trembled he didn't try to fight as the Wraith kept him firmly on the horse.

The elvish horses and their riders were so much faster, that they had time to turn their steeds away before they fell into the water and turn in another direction to escape the nine Ring Wraiths. The Nazgul shrieked in rage, and else where the Fellowship looked up with hope in their hearts, hoping that the elf had managed to evade them, though part of all of them suspected that the elf might have tried to kill himself to escape the tortured fate of being a Wraith. Either end they hoped for the elf, because either would be better. The elvish Wraiths spurred their steeds forward, giving them commands in black speech rather than in elvish. But the horses still listened well and ran on without complaint.

They soon left the very angry Ring Wraiths behind, who gave up the chase. Legolas hoped that they would not turn to take their anger out of the Fellowship. He didn't want them to get hurt. The two Wraiths kept running however until their horses were nearly ready to fall from exhaustion and they passed beyond the forest and into the plains of Rohan. Here at last they stopped and let their horses rest. The horses' chests were heaving, but still they seemed proud and did not spook. Legolas' chest was still heaving a little in surprise and breathlessness. He had almost killed himself! And now there were these two Wraiths! Nothing made much sense.

The Wraith kept the elf pressed firmly to his chest and did not release him. He was scanning the area for any signs of danger. There were none. But he did not release the elf for fear that he would harm himself in his fear. Legolas slowly looked over his shoulder at the Wraith, looking into the uncovered face. He could see the features that he knew so well, the face of Oropher. Both scared and overjoyed, he simply stared at him. The Wraith froze as he saw the elf looking, and that he could recognize him. He could tell the elf's eyes were within the realm of the Wraiths, and that he was blind to all that wasn't evil. But he was scared that the elf would spook.

"O-Oropher?" the prince asked quietly, unable to believe his eyes and heart.

Saeros turned and looked, surprised that the elf had recognized him, for they knew him. Oropher was silent a moment, both overjoyed that the prince recognized him and saddened at the same time.

"_It is I,_" he replied somewhat lamely.

The elf shuddered at the use of black speech. But he nodded and the two Elvish Wraiths felt alarmed that he could understand them. Oropher slid off of his gasping steed, releasing the elf for a few moments. But Legolas was either so terrified that he didn't move or so confused that he did not. Either way, Oropher gently reached up and pulled the elf off of the horse. He held the Prince's shoulders in his hands a moment, looking at him. Saeros dismounted his steed as well and walked over very carefully, making as much noise as he could as he walked to let the elf know he was coming and not to spook him. Legolas looked at him as well.

"Saeros?" he asked.

"_I am here my Prince,_" he replied.

"But, what...?" the elf asked. Both Wraiths hung their heads in shame.

"_We thought you were dead,_" Oropher tried to explain. "_They told us that you and Angrod were dying. And we felt like it was all our fault for not..._" the Wraith did not explain what had made him think it was his fault.

"_We had been fighting it,_" Saeros continued. "_But we could not. Not when we thought you were dead. We began to serve under Sauron. We lost ourselves in the darkness. They called us the Twin Wraiths because we did everything so perfectly together. Like twins._"

"_But then,_" Oropher continued. "_We heard that you were alive, and that you had joined the Fellowship of the Ring to destroy the Ring. We knew you would not escape from that unscathed, so we knew we had to help you. We followed you once you left Rivendell, but you seemed nervous of us so we backed off, and we lost you when you went through Moria. We found your tracks past the Anduin again, and we learned that the Nazgul wanted to capture you, so we had to ride you down._"

"_We are glad to see you again,_" Saeros said.

"But you are rogue Wraiths now," Legolas said, and they were both alarmed and glad to see that he was not afraid of them. "Where will you go?"

"_We will follow you,_" Oropher said, and Saeros nodded.

The elf paused a moment, surprised. The thought unnerved him a little. Two Wraiths willing to follow him? Even if he should become evil or die? But as he looked up at both of them, he remembered how they had fought together within the trees of Mirkwood. They had returned to him, and though he was still a little confused as to how or why, he knew that they were closer to being themselves than they had been in many years. He couldn't just take that away from them, not when he understood their pain well. He knew that many people would not like him, or accept his help when he came to them. But the part of him that was Wraith as well knew that he couldn't abandon them.

He was terrified of them, and the black taint they carried. They were not as evil as the Ring Wraiths, but they were still evil. What if they lost the part of themselves that had made them want to help him? What if they fell under Sauron's rule again? Such thoughts swam through his mind, but he pushed them aside. He was their prince, and in such unforgiving lands, he knew that it was his duty to protect them. The thought made him pause as well. How was he supposed to protect two Wraiths? Either way, he knew that he would not turn them away. He nodded.

"I know you will," he said, letting out a small sigh. The two Wraiths froze in surprise. They hadn't expected him to accept them. "And I will tell you, if you are still so willing to fight this darkness then I cannot push you away. I understand it as well." again he sighed. "I have been too frightened here lately. I must regain my bravery, though I hope I don't gain stupidity instead, to take on battles I have no hope of winning."

The two Wraiths nodded again but were silent. He knew that often Wraiths did not speak even in the black speech, but called to each other in a language all their own. He was not far enough gone to understand that one yet, but he knew also that Wraiths could be as silent as death. They were this way now, and he didn't try to push them into talking. He didn't fully understand what was going on in their minds, but he felt like he understood more than most. The two Wraiths released the elf prince and stepped away from him, turning to look towards Amon Hen again as they heard the shrieks of the nine nazgul. They appeared to be moving away.

The elf paused as he looked at the two Wraiths. He had known them as elves, and he could see why the other elves feared him so. Such darkness they bore! And yet they still fought it, and whatever light remained in this was looking to break through the darkness again. Still, it would take much more than even the light of Galadriel to bring them back out of the darkness they had fallen into now, much more. The elf thought back to what he had told the hobbit earlier: to forsake no help offered by be wary as well. With these two he knew he would have to be both. The elf sighed and turned his head back towards the sky.

"I must return to the Fellowship," he said. "At least as much as one we have left. I fear some of them may have died, and I know some of them have chosen a different path."

"_It will be a long journey to find them,_" Oropher said. "_But if you must return to them, we understand why._"

The elf was a little surprised to hear that the Wraith's voice sounded a little hurt. The prince sighed as he turned to them. The more he thought about it, this Wraith truly was like the elf he had once known. He always blamed himself for everything.

"I do not fear you," the elf said. "I must simply return to my friends now or they will worry. Especially the dwarf."

The elf's words had the desired effect upon the two Wraiths. They both seemed to smile at the elf a little teasingly and, he thought he saw their forms fade just slightly. They turned to look at him.

"_The dwarf, my prince?_" Oropher asked. "_You mean to tell me that you have become friends with a dwarf?_"

"_You?_" Saeros teased, a slightly lighter sound to his voice. "_When you swore to hate them? What is his name?_" Legolas smiled a little.

"Gimli, son of Gloin," the elf replied.

The Wraiths looked at one another, and then began to laugh. It was a peculiar sound, because Wraiths generally did not laugh. This sound bore the clear sound of the elves, but also the rasping voices of the Wraiths. Legolas was sure this time that he saw their forms fade a little, if only because he had showed them that though his nature was to fear them, he bore them no ill will for what they were.

"_You must return with all haste then,_" Oropher teased. "_We would not keep your dwarf waiting._"

"_I will lend you this horse,_" Saeros said, patting the flank of one of the black horses. The creature's intelligent face came up and looked at the elf. "_He will carry you to your friends and return to me, for he is a loyal creature, and will not fear the darkness in you for he carries me._"

"I thank you for that, mellon-nin," the elf said quietly.

The two Wraiths paused, overjoyed that their prince would still refer to them as friends with everything that was now standing between them. Saeros turned to his horse then and gave it orders to take him to the Fellowship and return once he was safely with them again, though he also warned it against the nine Ring Wraiths. The proud creature tossed its head and whinnied, and then stepped up next to the blind elf. Legolas had a difficult time finding the horse's back, for it had been a long time since he had consciously ridden a horse. But the horse was calm and the elf's body finally remembered how to pull him up onto the wide shoulders of the horse. He settled down onto the horse's back, grabbing hold of the harness that was on its shoulders that all elvish horses wore, and the Wraiths waved farewell to their prince, promising to help him if he should need it.

Then the horse leaped forward, carrying its passenger quickly and faithfully back towards the forest. The elf's eyes could catch glimpses of Uruk-Hai through the trees, fleeing at last, and he did not see the nine. The thought though gave him little comfort. It most likely meant that they had gotten at least most of what they had come for, and they were now leaving. The horse avoided being spotted by any of the Uruks though, and the elf was glad for that because he didn't have any of his weapons. The horse ran on, seeking faces of men and dwarves and hobbits. But they met no one.

The elf began to grow a little nervous as the horse ran on, looking for any signs of his friends. Night began to fall, and there was no sign of them. The elf suddenly feared that they had all fallen to the Uruk-Hai and died while he was away. He begged the horse to stop in elvish, and though the horse didn't seem to understand much of what the elf was saying, he stopped and the elf leaped off. He looked around, listening hard to try and catch his bearings. But he felt completely helpless suddenly without his eyes. He paused and leaned down, running his hands over the ground. This was where he had dropped his weapons earlier, but it seemed that they were no where around. They had been picked up. The elf felt as the horse nudged his shoulder and whinnied nervously. It had been ordered to protect him, and that's what he was going to do.

The elf sighed, forcing himself to calm down. He wasn't going to find any of his friends this way. He sat there a moment and listened, trying to catch any signs. As he was sitting there, the horse remained silent as well, though its tail swished and its head went up as it too caught a sound. Legolas had heard it as well, and stood bold upright. The sound of a dog like whine. He ran towards the sound, and the horse instantly followed. He slipped a little down a hill, but recovered and stopped. He had found Angrod. He could see his light.

The wolf was injured, but not too badly. He could recover. The elf felt relieved, but he knew as well that the wolf would be very on edge right now. Very slowly, he reached forward and touched the wolf's head. A growl began to build in the wolf's throat, and the elf quickly pulled his hand away. Then Legolas yelped in surprise as he felt the black horse of the Wraith grab the back of his tunic in his teeth and pull him away from the wolf before the wolf could snap at him. Angrod recognized the sound of the elf's voice however and suddenly leaped up.

The wolf leaped onto the elf, whining and wagging his tail and licking the elf's face. Legolas smiled and patted the wolf's head, knowing that he would be very relieved to see him. He could feel all the places that the wolf was hurt, and it worried him. But he knew that the wolf would be alright once Aragorn took a look at him.

"I'm fine," Legolas assured the wolf as the wolf sniffed him. The wolf froze, and Legolas knew he recognized the scent of the two Wraiths. "Yes, I found Oropher and Saeros. They are Wraiths. But they have escaped Sauron's rule for now, and they want to help us." the wolf let out a huff that told the elf that he didn't agree. "I know, I know. But they helped me escape from the Nazgul, and Saeros gave me his horse so I could find the others. They seem much different now, more like they used to be. And I could not turn them away, not when I understand."

There was silence a moment, but the wolf seemed to understand as well because he whined once and licked the elf's face. Legolas patted his head. The horse watched the wolf suspiciously for a moment, but then at last seemed to decide that the creature was no danger to him or his charge. Legolas stood, feeling again for the horse's strong back. The horse stood very still as the elf pulled himself up onto his back.

"We will have Aragorn look at your wounds when we find him," the elf promised. "Now we must go again, and try to find the others. I worry for them."

The horse set off again at a slower pace so the injured wolf could keep up. The wolf followed the elf loyally but tiredly, and often the elf would glance back at the wolf in worry, hoping not to push him too hard. The wolf seemed fine though, so they pressed on. By now it was very dark out, and sleep threatened to overcome the elf. But he continued to try and find the others as best as he could.

They traveled on for a while, until suddenly the wolf gave out a surprised yelp and ran forward. The elf watched him as he stopped and sniffed at something, then pawed at it gentle. He nuzzled it as well, but there was no response. Then the wolf threw back his head and began to howl. It was a sound that was full of heartache and grief. The elf leaped off of the horse and joined the wolf, reaching out to touch whatever had gained the wolf's attention and grief.

Legolas froze as he felt Boromir's arm. He knew the armor that the Gondorian wore, and then he felt the tree arrows sticking out of his torso. The elf gasped, and tears threatened to fall. He had fallen! And what of the two hobbits? They were no where to be found. He didn't know where Aragorn or Gimli were, but he knew that he needed to give the man a proper funeral before he continued his search.

With some difficulty, he managed to pull the large man up onto the back of the horse, who waited patiently and without complaint, for it was used to things of death and darkness upon its back. Then the elf called for the horse and the wolf to follow him. It was slow going, but they eventually gained the shores of the Anduin. Here again, the elf paused and felt the earth with his thin fingers.

He found two sets of hobbit foot prints leading to the water. He sighed a little, knowing that Sam and Frodo were on their way now to Mordor, and away from harm at least at this point. He wished them luck. He also found a set of prints from Aragorn and Gimli. It was not much older than the prints left by the hobbits. They had not followed, and had instead turned and left through the forest in a great haste. There horse hooves as well, for the nine had been following them. He hoped they had given the Wraiths the slip and were free now, probably within the plains of Rohan elsewhere. Since the nine had been following them, it was no wonder that they had not stopped to give Boromir the funeral he deserved, and he couldn't blame them for that. But now he was going to give the man a funeral, because he owed that much to him at least.

He pulled the man off of the horse and laid him in one of the elven boats. His sword was in his belt, so the elf carefully pulled it out and placed it in the man's folded hands, which were over his chest. Then he pushed the boat out into the lake and let the current of the falls take him over the edge. The elf listened a moment, for though he could not see him, he wanted to make sure that the man had an audience at least for the last of the his journey. The elf leaned down and patted the wolf's head again, who whined.

"Come my friend," he said. "We must go. We must find Aragorn and Gimli and join them, for our path lies out there with them, where we may fight again."

The wolf of course did not respond because he could not. But he stood as Legolas went over and felt around their camp. He found their supplies, and pulled out very few items to keep, throwing the rest away and lessening his load. He needed to travel with all speed after all. He also found his weapons, and most of his arrows had been salvaged. The thought the elf dead, and in their haste they had left his weapons behind. He was glad for that though, because it meant that he was no longer unarmed. He slipped on his quiver and but his bow away as well. Then he slid his two short swords into their sheathes and stood, turning back to the horse. He pulled himself onto the horse's back.

"Come on Angrod," the elf said sadly. "Let us go find our remaining friends while we may."

The horse leaped off again, turning and running in the direction the elf pointed out to him, back towards the plains of the Horse Lords. The wolf followed behind, saddened by the loss of the Gondorian, but knowing that Legolas was right and they must continue on. Legolas just hoped he could find his friends unharmed.

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**This chapter was a little bit more random, but it introduced two fairly important characters, or rather reintroduced. I will make Legolas become more like the brave prince he used to be over time, though he will never truly not fear the darkness while he's part Wraith. I still hope you enjoy though and continue to read on. :D**


	11. The Elf's Return

**And because I got bored I have started the next chapter. I did go through and fix as much as the wrong spelling of names as I could find, and I think I got all of it. I guess we'll see later. We'll continue on now where our elf meets back up with Gimli and Aragorn, and things will get a little more interesting as we go to Rohan. ;)**

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**Shout outs! **

**BlackMinx17 (Lol glad you liked it. I will definitely post more. And I just had to add them back in! I feel in love with them though they only appeared for one chapter. And it makes things more interesting. ;) ) and Guest (aww you're so sweet. XD I love to write this one, so I'll add more and more for you guys!)**

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**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well, and I'll continue this story for sure. :D**

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The elf missed his keen eyes, which he really felt like he needed now to spot his friends. It was dark, and the only reason he knew this was because he could hear nocturnal animals beginning to come out and make noises, frightened of the events from earlier but not as scared now that the Uruk-Hai and the Nazgul had left. The other two Wraiths were no where to be seen, and though Legolas scanned the area for them he could see no trace of them.

He let the horse run, but did not run him too hard. He didn't want the animal to become too tired after all. And he didn't want to lose the wolf that was running behind him. Angrod was growing more and more tired, and he was starting to lag behind. The elf was going to at last stop and let the wolf rest, when suddenly the horse changed direction. The jolt was so sudden that it almost threw the elf off. He really was unused to riding a horse! He managed to recover however, and Angrod turned to follow.

The horse stopped, and the elf listened hard. He sighed a little as he just heard the loud snores of a very exhausted dwarf. The horse had stopped before awakening the two weary travelers. He didn't want to spook them. The elf swung silently off of the horse's back and patted his strong nose. The elf realized that he didn't know the horse's name. But the beast turned before the elf could speak a word to him and ran away along the plains, disappearing into the darkness. Legolas listened to it leave for a moment, but then turned and walked towards the other two.

His tread was so light that they didn't notice as he came over to them. But they heard the wolf as he let out a whine. Instantly Aragorn had leaped up, bearing his knife in front of him. At first he didn't seem to see the elf, until Legolas shifted a little and raised his hand in greeting, making the moonlight dance off of his golden hair. The man froze in disbelief as he stared at the elf, but there was no doubt that he was looking at the blind elf. He leaped up suddenly and pulled the elf into a hug, which he returned somewhat awkwardly. The man released the elf and grabbed his arms in a friendly manner, smiling though he knew the elf would not see it.

"You are alive," Aragorn said.

"I am," he said. "Though it cannot be said so for all of us." The man's face fell.

"You found Boromir," he said. The elf nodded.

"I gave him as proper a funeral as I could," Legolas replied. "I thought it best, since he did save my life. The Anduin guards his soul now."

"Yes," the man said. "The nine returned once they lost you and came back. He told us to leave him there, because he was already dying and staying would only slow us down. We let Sam and Frodo go as well, for the Ring is too much a burden on all of us. We left your weapons, which you found I see. Now we track the remainder of the Uruk-Hai across the plains of Rohan, for they have captured Merry and Pippin. The Wraiths were called back on some other mission, for we managed to hide from their sight and they are gone now."

The elf nodded. He agreed, they had to find the two hobbits. The two hobbits had let themselves be seen when they should have remained hidden to save the elf as well. He had to find them and bring them back safely. Not only because he knew the darkness of the enemy well, and he didn't want to see two of such happy folk broken, but also because he owed it to them to try and save them. For all he knew, they thought that he was dead or captured by the Ring Wraiths as well. They probably knew about Boromir too. The thought of seeing those two happy faces filled with yet more grief filled him with determination. He nodded to the man.

"We will find them, mellon-nin," the elf promised.

With that the dwarf was suddenly startled awake, and he leaped up quickly. He then turned and stared with wide eyes at the elf standing before him. Legolas smiled a little and turned to face the dwarf. For a moment, Gimli said nothing. Then he sounded very angry when he spoke.

"Where do you think you've been lad?" the dwarf cried. "We thought you were dead you know! You couldn't have..." The dwarf trailed off, and the elf smiled, laying a hand on the dwarf's shoulder.

"I am here now," the elf said. "Thank the Valar I am! But I am here." the elf suddenly remembered the wolf, and motioned to him. "When there is more light, would you look at Angrod's wounds Aragorn?"

"I will," the man promised. "If you tell us how you got away. It is not small miracle that you escaped. It is nearly impossible!"

The elf sighed, but knew that he needed to explain as well as he could. Legolas sat down and laid his hand on Angrod's back. The wolf was asleep now and twitching painfully, but he seemed fine. The man and the dwarf sat down as well as the elf began his tail. He left nothing out, starting from when he and Angrod had been ambushed by the Uruk-Hai who wanted to capture him alive. He told how the two hobbits had distracted the Uruk-Hai in hopes that he could escape from the Nazgul who wanted him, and how Boromir and Angrod had helped him to escape.

He told of the chase, and where he had narrowly missed capture to slip out of reach underneath a tree. He told them too that he had thought of killing himself, rather than being captured and proving to be a disadvantage for the Fellowship, and the words of the Nazgul. He told how Oropher and Saeros had saved him, and their conversation. Aragorn and Gimli both seemed surprised to learn that the two Wraiths that had followed them from Rivendell were his two friends, and now that they were rogue Wraiths looking to help them.

He told them of their parting, though not of the talk of the dwarf, and that their light was slowly returning. He told them that he was given the horse of the Wraith and returned to look for them, to find Angrod badly wounded and Boromir dead. He told them of the funeral he gave him, which they both seemed pleased with greatly. Then he told them how he had regained his weapons which they had left in the great haste, and how he had found them again.

When he finished his tale, silence fell. None of them spoke suddenly, and they all simply sat there, mourning the loss of Boromir. But they knew that they had little time to waste, and that they could not let his sacrifice for the elf and the hobbits be in vain. Aragorn looked up at the elf.

"You knew that Frodo meant to leave," he said. "And you sent Sam after him." the elf nodded.

"I understood why he had to leave," Legolas admitted. "But I did not think he should go completely alone. Bearing such darkness alone could prove too much. So I nudged Sam in the right direction."

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," Aragorn said. The dwarf sighed.

"Then it has all been in vain," Gimli said. "The Fellowship has failed."

Aragorn smiled at the two of them, reaching out and laying a hand on both the shoulder of the elf and of the dwarf. He looked at them both, and the dwarf paused to see the determination in his eyes. Legolas could sense it, and smiled as well.

"Not if we hold true to each other," the man said. "We can't abandon Merry and Pippin to certain torment and death. Let's hunt some Orc."

"Yes," Gimli cried, a glint in his eye. The man smiled.

"We leave at dawn, and we travel light," Aragorn continued. "Now let's take a look at Angrod here. We need to make sure that he will be ready with us."

The man gently examined the wounds of the wolf, looking him over carefully. The wolf didn't even stir, too exhausted to be roused from his sleep now. Once he had assessed the damage, he announced that the wolf would live and he would heal quickly, for he was a creature not unlike the elves. Then he sent Gimli off to look for a plant with a certain leaf. Legolas offered to help, but both the man the dwarf insisted that he sit down and rest a while. After awhile, the dwarf at last returned with the plant that Aragorn had asked for, and then the man began to work in wetting it with his saliva and spreading it gently over the wounds so they would not fester. Then he bandaged it as well.

The elf listened as the man and the dwarf worked. It amazed him a little that though it was the middle of the night and they were exhausted from having avoided the Nazgul and thinking they had lost more than one, they were more than willing to help the wolf heal. He supposed it was no wonder though. After all the trails they faced together, was it any wonder that they had become close, and that they trusted each other so well? With so much going on, they needed as many loyal friends as they could find.

Then the elf thought of Gimli. How strange a pair they were! Before they would have been trying to kill each other any chance that they got, because the history between their two races dictated that this was so, and the prejudice was hard to overcome. It was rare for an elf and a dwarf to become friends, and it happened very few times in history. Usually it ended badly, for it was in times of peace and the wars began again, straining the friendship until it broke. But now they were in a time of war, and the elf couldn't deny that he wanted badly to be friends with the dwarf. He wanted this prejudice to end, because out here he wasn't following his father's orders, but his own heart. Though he loved his father, he found that the freedom brought more paths. He wondered if the dwarf still thought him a foolish elf as he had before. But he supposed that he shouldn't push it, whatever happened.

Aragorn sighed at last and broke off his conversation with Gimli. He looked up at the elf, who seemed fairly well considering he had just seen the very creatures that helped make him into what he was now. Perhaps the darkness was not so hard on him any longer, and he would recover after all.

"We should rest," the man said. "For we will need our strength tomorrow. We will not stop until we have found our hobbits. It will be a long run, but we will need to continue with all speed."

"We follow you laddie," the dwarf replied. "We will be ready to go."

"We will be prepared, mellon-nin," the elf promised.

After that there was no more talking. They all simply laid out their bedrolls again and curled up to sleep. They were out on the open plains and in plain view, but they did not fear danger because of their mission. Soon, sleep had enveloped all of them, and Legolas was glad that he fell into an undisturbed sleep, filled with no nightmares.

When the dawn softened the light of the day, Aragorn leaped up and roused them all. Legolas was pleased to see that Angrod was doing much better. They ate quick breakfast of lembas bread and then stood. Soon they were running. The man took the lead, with the wolf following to show Legolas the way and the elf close behind to shout encouragement at the dwarf, whose legs were much shorter and found the fast pace hard on him. But the dwarf didn't complain and kept on running.

Thank the Valar that they were all so willing to drive on! It kept them from listening to their exhausted bodies and laying down to sleep. The Uruk-Hai were already a few days ahead of them. If they paused even a moment then they feared they would not close the distance and save them. Angrod did well, and though they kept up their relentless pace the wolf still began to recover, though rest would do him better. The elf and the dwarf ran on after Aragorn, surprised at how willing he suddenly was to travel onward.

After a while, though the elf wasn't sure how long since he was concentrated on running and found it hard to keep track of time, though he was sure that it had at least been a couple days, Aragorn paused. He was known to be a great tracker, and laid down with his ear pressed against a stone. The other three stopped as well as the man listened for a while. His head lifted.

"Their pace has quickened," he said. "They must have caught our scent." Aragorn stood and leaped away.

"Come on Gimli," the elf cried, leaping off after the man.

The dwarf began to mumble a little irritably about the pace, and that they had no rest or food, but he ran off after them. He was hard pressed to keep following. Legolas would often pause though to call for the dwarf, taking his time to make sure they did not leave the dwarf behind. Tired though he was, Gimli kept trucking on after them, always a little far behind, but willing to run on to save their hobbits as much as the other two were. Around noon though, with the dwarf trailing behind, the man stopped. Legolas nearly crashed into him, so the man steadied him.

Aragorn picked something up and held it out to the elf so that he could feel it. The blind elf's hands traced over it carefully and his eyes widened. It was one of the broaches that held their cloaks around their necks! It was worn by the Fellowship!

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," the man said.

"They may yet be alive," the elf gasped.

"Less than a day ahead of us," the man cried, motioning to the elf as he leaped forward again. "Come!"

"Come on Gimli," the elf called encouragingly. "We are gaining on them!"

The dwarf came tumbling down a hill, but leaped up after his two longer legged companions. The elf heard him shout something about dwarves being very dangerous over short distances, which highly amused the elf. But they ran on, with the dwarf puffing along behind them. They slowed occasionally so that Gimli would not fall too far behind, but they ran onward. The sun was beginning to slowly set when at last they crested a hill. They all paused, for though they had long passed into the borders of Rohan, now they could truly see the land and all its beauty. Gimli found himself wishing that the elf could see it as well.

"Rohan," Aragorn said. "Home of the Horse Lords."

"Something is wrong here," the elf sighed.

"Some evil gives speed to these creatures," Aragorn agreed. "Sets its will against us."

Legolas turned his eyes around, and Angrod realized that he wanted a better view. The wolf led him up a slightly higher incline of rock, and the elf looked on from his perch. Here he could see much farther over the flat plains of Rohan. He caught sight of the Uruk-Hai band that they were chasing, farther away than he would have thought. The man noticed as the elf's eyes locked onto something.

"Legolas," the man called. "What do your elf eyes see?"

"The Uruks turn northeast," the elf called. He concentrated a little harder, and he realized with a little dread where they were going. "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"

"Saruman," Aragorn growled a little.

Without another word, the group leaped off on their chase again with renewed determination. They knew that they could not let the Uruk-Hai reach Isengard while they still had the will to go on. They had to save the two hobbits before some horror or torture befell them! They ran onto well into the night, ignoring the exhaustion that threatened to drag them into sleep. They ran on, not stopping at all to rest. They all knew that they needed the rest, but they couldn't bring themselves to abandon their friends. Suddenly though, a foreboding fell over Legolas and he paused, looking up. The sun was rising. He could smell the dew fresh upon the grass.

"Aragorn," the elf gasped. "What does the sun rise look like?"

The dwarf seemed confused, but the man understood immediately. He looked up and gasped, turning back to the elf.

"A red sun rises," the man said.

"Blood has been spilled this night," the elf said a little nervously.

The three of them stood there nervously for a moment, thinking of the two little hobbits. No! It could not be! They all dashed forward again, drinking what little water they had left. They could not waste another minute.

But around mid-day, there came the great sound of thundering hooves coming towards them. Legolas thought fleetingly of the nine Nazgul, but then pushed the thought out of his mind as he realized that there were far too many horses. Aragorn grabbed the elf's arm and pulled him behind a large boulder. They all took shelter from sight behind the rock.

The horsemen thundered past, not seeing the three beings because of their wonderful coats, and not seeing the wolf because he was hidden behind Legolas' coat as well. Aragorn seemed suddenly though to gasp as he realized who he was looking at. He leaped forward, and the others stood as well.

"Riders of Rohan," he cried out in a loud voice. "What news from the Mark?"

Instantly from hearing the sound of the voice, the horses were checked and the horsemen returned. Angrod snarled a little and growled, making the horses a little nervous as they circled around the travelers. The large host surrounded them suddenly, and the horsemen pointed their spears at the necks of the three. They offered up their hands to show that they were not posing any threat to them. One man came forward.

"What business does an elf, a man, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?" the leader cried. "Speak quickly!"

"Tell me your name horse master," Gimli said stubbornly. "and I shall give you mine." The man got off his horse and thrust his spear angrily towards his companion. He stepped forward a little.

"I would cut off your head, dwarf," the man growled. "if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

Legolas could tell that the dwarf was indignant at the reply, but the elf was angrier. He wasn't in the mood to deal with a man who showed so little manners. In the blink of an eye he had drawn his bow and strung it, pointing a deadly arrow into the man's face. The man turned with surprise to look at the elf.

"You would die before your stroke fell," the elf hissed.

Spears were pointed directly at the elf, and it was clear that tensions were rising. Aragorn quickly leaped forward and stayed the elf's hand, lowering the elf's hand and bow. The man looked into the elf's face a moment as the dwarf stared at him in surprise.

"You are blind," the horse master said in surprise. "I did not know it could be so."

"I do not need my eyes to know where to shoot," the elf hissed in an even harsher and slightly defensive tone. It surprised the man as he realized he had just stepped onto a very touchy subject. "Your breathing is enough to tell me where to release my subject."

"I did not mean to offend," the man said, backing away a little, still surprised. The elf listened to the man a moment.

"The offense does not lie with you, but with another." the elf sighed. He had let his emotions get the better of him. The horse master watched the elf a moment, but said nothing more.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn," Aragorn began before things could get worse. "This is Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your king." The man turned his eyes to Aragorn and then sighed, removing his helmet.

"Theoden no long recognizes friend from foe," he said. The spears were withdrawn from the three of them. "not even his own kin." He looked at him a moment. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished." He took a few steps around them and looked at them. "The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets."

"We are not spies," Aragorn said. "We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive."

At this, the faces of the men fell a little. Legolas could sense a little pity from the battle hardened soldier in front of them.

"The Uruks are destroyed," the man said. "We slaughtered them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits," the dwarf gasped. "Did you see two hobbits with them?" There was some confusion at the term, so Aragorn explained.

"They would be small," he said. "only children to your eyes."

"We left none alive," the man said. "We piled the carcasses and burned them." he pointed to something behind them.

"Dead?" the dwarf asked with a slight gasp. Legolas laid his hand on his shoulder as comfortingly as he could.

"I am sorry," he replied. And he truly was. He knew the pain of losing friends to the hordes of Saruman as well. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind and he whistled loudly. "Hasufel, Arod!" Two horses stepped up to the man, and he took their reigns in his hand. He looked up to the Fellowship. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. And elf, if we should meet again, I think I would like to hear your tale. Now farewell." He handed the reigns of the horses to Aragorn, and then he swung up onto his horse and put his helmet back on. He took his spear. "Look for your friends, but do not trust a hope. It has forsaken these lands." he looked over his shoulders at the men behind him. "We ride north!"

They stood their with the two horses as the riders turned and left them, riding away north. There was nothing but a broken silence. Then the elf, so he would have something to do, took the saddle, bit, and head armor off of the white horse and let it roam free for a while. He stripped the saddle and took the leather apart, for the saddle was formed into strips. Then he quickly made a harness like those of elven horses. Then he called the horse back and fitted the harness on it.

"It has a very elvish like structure," he said. "Perhaps that is why he seems so restive and fiery. Come Gimli, you shall ride Arod with me."

The elf swung up onto the horse's back, which snorted a little. But Arod seemed to enjoy his new freedom, and the trust that his master seemed to have in him. The elf spoke soothingly in elvish to the horse, and though he did not understand them yet he liked the sound and grew very calm. If only his old master could see him now! How calm and well behaved he was for the elf and the dwarf! Legolas was right in saying he was like an elvish horse, for though he had been brought up in Rohan and born there, he was as fiery as one, and built like the fast and enduring horses that the elves so favored. The man of Rohan might not have realized this, but the elf thought the gift very well placed.

The horse could tell that the elf was blind, and could sense the darkness within him. But the horse was not frightened of the creature at all and was very patient as the elf pulled the dwarf up onto the horse behind him. The dwarf managed to keep a tight hold with his legs and around the elf's waist, but since both thought of the other of their friend now it didn't bother either one of them. Aragorn swung up onto Hasufel, and both horses ignored the wolf that now sniffed at their legs. They weren't bothered by it at all. Aragorn took the horse's reigns in his hands.

"Come my friends," he said. "Let us go. Do not give up hope, not until we have proof of their demise. For now, we ride and hold up our heads while we may."

Neither the elf or the dwarf said anything, so Aragorn spurred Hasufel forward. Legolas gave Arod a quiet command in elvish, and the horse began forward. He was unused to bearing two riders, but even their combined weight was little, and so he followed Hasufel at a trot, but carefully so his blind rider could grow used to riding a horse again. He was very patient for the elf, and Legolas was glad for that small blessing at least. There might not be very many more as they went on.

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**And that's the end of that chapter. I'm glad you guys like this story so much. :D **

**I based the idea for Arod not having his reigns and saddle off of the book version where Legolas basically does the same thing, though he isn't blind and remembers how to ride a horse completely bare backed. I just liked the harness idea so I used that too. From now on Arod will be ridden this way in this story. Also, everyone is going to eventually know about Legolas' past and that he's commanding two Wraiths. Which will become interesting later on. **

**I hope you guys enjoyed and leave a comment below. :D**


	12. The Witless Worm

**Here is chapter twelve! I know you guys like this story, so it inspires me to write more! I am a little surprised that you guys like to read this so much, considering I write such long chapters. But since you guys love it so much I will keep writing the way I always have.**

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**Shout outs!**

**Silver Butterfly 111 who's now following!**

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**Anyway, here's the chapter. Who even reads the author's notes anyway? Either way, I'm glad you guys like the story so much! :D Again, I changed the sequence of events up a little bit within Fangorn forest because I wanted to add a little something extra. I'm adding in something a little extra with Eowyn as well, because I find it amusing.**

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Legolas could smell the rotting, burned carcasses though he couldn't see them. They were piled high, and still smoking from what he could tell. It was disheartening. The elf swung down from the horse and helped the dwarf down. Gimli quickly set about digging through the pile with his axe to find some sign of the two hobbits. Legolas and Aragorn were soon lost in thought of what had happened, though the elf decided that if they had died, it would be a much better fate than to be tortured at the hands of Saruman. Then suddenly Gimli let out a choked little sob and pulled something out of the pile.

"It's one of their wee belts," he said.

The silence was heavy. They had lost two more! That was four now! How much more heartache could they take? They had set out as just a group of travelers with nothing in common, but each loss was harder than the next, because their bond was strong. The elf placed his hand on his chest in a show of both respect and loss.

"_May they find peace in death,_" the elf said softly in elvish.

There was silence a moment, and the horses seemed to sense the anguish of their new masters. They waited patiently to the side. Suddenly, Aragorn gave out a yell and kicked at an Uruk head that lay on the ground, sending it flying. Then he sank to his knees, his heart heavy with defeat and the loss of two more of the Fellowhsip.

"We failed them," the dwarf said sadly.

Then however the dwarf fell silent at something he had seen, and the elf paused as well, listening. He heard Aragorn shift slightly and touch the ground.

"A hobbit lay here, and the other," he said. Suddenly he stood, his careful eyes scanning the ground as he began to move a little faster. The dwarf and the elf followed. "Their wrists were bound. Their bonds were cut." he held up a rope for Gimli to see. "They ran over here. They were followed. The tracks lead away from the battle." the man paused and looked up. "Into Fangorn forest."

"Fangorn forest?" the dwarf gulped. "What madness drove them in there?"

They all knew though that they had to go in, for there was a hope that they were still alive. Legolas begged the horses in elvish to stay, and then they all went inside. Within moments they found the trees dense and the trees began to moan.

"These trees are old," the elf said. "Very old. So old that I feel young again. These trees are full of memory, and anger. Listen they speak to one another!"

"Gimli," Aragorn warned. "Lower your axe."

The dwarf quickly did as he had been told, and the trees seemed to settle down a little bit. They traveled onward a little, and though Angrod showed Legolas the way he still found it hard to move on. He nearly tripped a moment when he found his fall broken by the root of a tree. He stood and quietly thanked the old tree in elvish before moving on and finding the root back in its place under ground. The trees bore the elf no ill will at least. He paused a moment as he heart Gimli brush his hand against some leaves, and then he heard as the dwarf spat something out.

"Orc blood," the dwarf announced.

"These are strange tracks," Aragorn said. Legolas came over and felt the ground. His eyes widened.

"I have never come across tracks like these," the elf said. "They are so large!"

"And here is the orc that was following our hobbits," the dwarf said. "He's been crushed. They couldn't do such a thing!"

There was a few seconds of silence and of confusion among the Fellowship. Then the elf looked up. He had seen a flash of light, and he knew it was light because it appeared dark to his eyes, a momentary flash of blackness darker than the rest of the blackness that surrounded him. Whatever was approaching was a being of great light and a pure spirit. The elf stepped forward however, feeling somewhat nervous.

"_Aragorn something is out there,_" The elf said in elvish. The man and dwarf looked at him.

"What do you see?" the man asked. The elf froze suddenly as he caught a glimpse of a figure.

"The White Wizard approaches," the elf said quietly, nodding slightly towards the right. The man closed his eyes in resignation, knowing that they could not fight this foe, but that they could not give up either.

"Do not let him speak," he said. "He will cast a spell on us."

There was a tensed silence now. Aragorn gripped his sword, and Legolas strung his bow slightly, fingering the feathered tip of the arrow nervously. Gimli gripped his axe tightly.

"We must be quick," the man said.

Then they all whirled around to face the wizard. A bright light suddenly illuminated from his upraised staff. The dwarf threw his axe, which was deflected. Legolas unleashed an arrow, which was swallowed in light and disappeared. Aragorn's sword grew too hot too touch and he dropped it. Now they were unarmed and at the mercy at the White Wizard, blinded by such bright light! Wait light? The elf paused a moment, confused. He had been reaching for another arrow, but now he stopped.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," came a voice. It sounded like the voice of Saruman, but the elf could hear another voice as well, and concentrated hard now.

"Where are they?" Aragorn demanded boldly.

"They passed this way the day before yesterday," the voice said. Legolas' jaw dropped as he recognized the voice. He fell to his knees into a kneel, much to the surprise of his two companions, and stared at the wizard. They turned angrily back to the wizard, suspecting some trick. "They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

"Who are you?" Aragorn demanded, angry. "Show yourself!"

"Mithrandir," the elf gasped in surprise and relief. Aragorn and Gimli fell silent.

Slowly, the bright light faded and the wizard became visible to the man and dwarf. Silently, Gimli knelt before the wizard as well with the elf. Aragorn took a tentative step forward, staring at the wizard. The fear had left their hearts though, and they were amazed.

"It cannot be," Aragorn said. "You fell."

Gandalf smiled and told of his long battle against the Balrog, of how he had fought him past the lowest and highest points of Middle Earth, and had at last defeated him. He told them of how he had died, but had been sent back to help them, for the Valar were behind their quest. The elf felt so much better than he had in a long time, knowing that they were being watched over. The Valar wanted them to succeed! What other reason should he need to fight? Then the wizard told them that the hobbits were safe now in the care of Treebeard, and Ent.

Then however came the sad time to tell the wizard all that had happened. They told him that Legolas had nearly become a Wraith, to be saved by the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien, and they had found the wolf that was Angrod. They then told of how Boromir had died at Amon Hen trying to help both the elf and the hobbits, and the elf had met Oropher and Saeros. The wizard was very interested in the fact that the Nazgul wanted Legolas, and that now he had two Wraiths willing to fight under his command. They told that Frodo and Sam had left on their own to Mordor, and that Saruman had taken Lordship over Rohan. Then they told how they had found their way into Fangorn. The wizard was silent a moment, taking it all in. Then he turned and walked back the way he had just come. The group leaped up and followed him.

"One stage of your journey is over," the wizard said. "another begins. War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all speed."

They came to the edge of the forest, and the wizard let out a long whistle. It was magnified perhaps by magic, and so it echoed loudly over the plains. The whinny of a horse could clearly be heard in response, and it came running towards them. Even Legolas felt surprise, for the horse was so full of beautiful light that it pierced the veil that hung over his eyes and though all else was black he clearly saw the beautiful white horse. He recognized it.

"That is one of the Mearas," he said in a soft voice. "unless my eyes are cheated by some spell."

"Shadowfax," the wizard said fondly. "He's the lord of all horses, and he's been my friend through many dangers."

The elf and man quickly went to retrieve Hasufel and Arod, and then they all mounted. They rode with all speed towards Edoras, and Arod ran on quicker now that he was sure that the elf on his back would do well with the faster pace. Angrod ran along side the white horse, somehow managing to keep stride. But this did not surprise anyone, for he was a creature of strange magic as well.

They ran on quickly, looking to reach the city as if war had already come crashing down upon the very gates of Rohan. Slowly, Legolas leaned forward into the horse's stride, trusting his horse to run on and carry him to his destination. It was a lot of trust to put onto the horse, for the elf was blind, and it was a little unnerving to be moving so quickly through Rohan and unable to feel his own way across the ground. He could trust his own body, but that of a strange horse? Arod was loyal however, and he sought out the easiest path for his blind rider and ran on quickly. He would never drop the elf, and he found himself fond of the elf already, for the elf trusted him and did not restrict the freedom the horse so desired. The dwarf he liked too, for though his voice was rougher like those of the men, it was often full of mirth and his hands were gentle as well. So the white horse of Rohan was very careful and well behaved for his new owners, though none could deny that the horse was more fond of the elf. That suited Gimli fine though, for he did not generally like even a pony.

Soon the miles melted away, and Legolas could tell that they were growing close at last to Edoras. He heard as overhead, a flag suddenly ripped from its pole in the wind and floated down to the Fellowship. Upon seeing the strangers, the gate guards were nervous. A man, an elf, a dwarf and a wizard? But Gandalf had covered his white robes and they recognized him, so they opened the gates. The horses stepped carefully inside, walking at an even pace now. The people looked out at them with sad and distrustful faces. Even Legolas could sense it.

"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli said quietly.

They rode on in silence towards the king's palace, which was not as grand as others, but grand still for the Horse Lords. A stable boy met them at the long steps that led up to the king's palace. They dismounted their horses, and Gandalf paid the boy a few gold coins to stable the horses and kept them well cared for. The wizard then turned and led them up the long steps towards the king's palace. At the top, they were met by guards.

"No one may enter to see the king so armed," the guard said. "By order of Grima Wormtongue."

The wizard nodded and they all began to hand the guards their weapons so that it would appear that they were aggressors. The weapons were all handed over, and the guard looked down at the wolf, and seemed nervous, but Gandalf assured him he was well trained. He looked instead at the wizard's staff, which he then told the man was his walking stick. He leaned into Legolas, who took his arm to "help" him inside. The guards opened the door, and suddenly a woman came out. She saw the elf and spotted his bow and arrows. She quickly grabbed them and then leaned over to the elf, whispering into his ear.

"The man inside," she said. "Wormtongue..." she paused a moment and then continued. "He is evil. You must help me."

The elf nodded, and the woman turned and ran inside. The guards watched her with perplexed looks, and the Fellowship turned to Legolas with just as confused looks. But the elf showed no indication about the woman either way, so they made their way inside. The doors were closed behind them, and Gandalf let go of Legolas and stepped forward, and they let him go past.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late," Gandalf said. "Theoden King."

The man called Grima whispered to the king. Legolas found that he took an instant disliking to him. He was full of darkness, and clearly visible to his eyes. Theoden was sickly looking and barely visible to the elf's eyes as well.

"Why should I welcome you," the king asked, his voice sounding like a ghost's. "Gandalf Stomcrow?"

"A just question my liege," Grima said, standing and turning to the wizard. "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Ill news is an ill guest."

"Be silent," Gandalf cried. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!" Grima saw Gandalf's staff and suddenly grew afraid.

"His staff," he cried. "I told you to take the wizard's staff!"

Guards suddenly leaped forward. Legolas could tell that they didn't like Wormtongue one bit, but they wanted to protect their king. They leaped forward to protect him, and the Fellowship quickly dispatched them. Gimli caught Grima and warned him to be still. Then they all watched with amazement as there was a silent battle between the two white wizards, for Gandalf had revealed himself at last. But at last Gandalf cast Saruman from the halls and stepped back with a gentle smile.

"Breath the free air again," he told him.

The king returned to normal, and Legolas watched as the darkness left him. The woman ran forward, and he could hear that there were tears in his eyes. There was silence as he looked at her.

"I know your face," he breathed. "Eowyn..."

There was silence again, but then Legolas felt rage from the king as he turned to look at Grima. The man tried to run, but then the woman, Eowyn, turned and threw the elf's bow and arrows back to him.

"Here," she cried.

The elf quickly caught one arrow and his bow, turning it to face the man and stringing it quickly. There was a loud twang, and a dull thud, accompanied by the yelp of Grima. The arrow had burried itself into the wood inches in front of the man's face. Aragorn caught the arrows before they hit the ground, and the elf pulled out another, stringing it as Grima looked towards him in alarm.

"You get one warning," the elf said. "The next shot takes that foul tongue out of your skull once and for all." But Grima let out a nervous laugh.

"See the company my king prefers?" the man said. "This is no elf! Look, he is blind, yet he still sees me! This creature is more Wraith than he is elf, full of such evil and darkness." The elf felt his face pale a little. They knew already! There was a shocked silence, though no change in expression touched the elf's face. "So, how long has it been since the darkness took you?"

"The darkness has not taken me," the elf said in a level tone. "And that is the only reason you have lived so long when you have angered me." the truth in the elf's words seemed to make the man nervous. He turned instead to try and talk to the elf and calm him. No one else moved, unsure of what to do at this point.

"Perhaps it has not," he said. "I can see that you are strong of mind. I know your kind. Such fair people the elves are. You would not shoot me. I can see the purity in your eyes."

"You are blind," the elf said. "You think you can convince me to put down my bow, but I will not. You are thinking perhaps of the fairer of my race. But I am not fair, nor am I kind. It is because your master has haunted my home for many years. I fear the darkness and I hate it, and you are filled with this darkness. Should I show you how wrong you truly are? I have no pity for men like you." The silence was even deeper, but the Fellowship could tell that the elf was deeply hurt by the man's words.

"Where do you hail from?" Grima asked in a soft and terrified voice, for the elf had not moved an inch.

"Mirkwood," the elf replied.

After that the man fell silent and said no more. He knew that the training of the elves of Mirkwood was strict, and the elves there were quick to draw and asked questions later because they had to become that way. He didn't speak for fear of angering the elf further. Gandalf walked up and gently lowered the elf's bow, and Legolas let his arms relax. The wizard spoke quietly, but there was anger at Grima in his voice as well.

"I think you should go outside a while," the wizard said.

Legolas didn't respond, and instead handed Aragorn his bow and the arrow. Then he turned without another word and strode quickly from the halls of the king. He had no destination in mind, and was only slightly aware that Angrod followed him silently. He strode forward, and suddenly found himself in the stables. The stable boy had gone away, so the elf walked inside. The soft muzzle of Arod reached out to touch his shoulder, and the horse understood that the elf was upset. The elf and the wolf slipped into the stable box with the horse, and the elf sat down with his back against the wall. The horse stood there beside the elf, nuzzling him once or twice, but mostly standing guard over the distressed elf more. Angrod laid his head in the elf's lap.

Legolas stroked the wolf's head quietly. Grima had known and told his darkest secret! The one he had kept hidden for so long! Saruman must have heard of him and told Grima about him, though obviously not much, because he hadn't know that the elf was from Mirkwood. They all knew now, and the thought pained him. They would surely fear him before they even truly knew him, and the fear of those around him had always made him feel so lonely. But worse still was the fact that the man had known. To have his worst secret told was a heavy blow to the elf, and the fear of those first days came back to him. It didn't help either that he had let his anger control him, and no matter how badly they all thought of Grima, it would only make him look bad to their eyes.

He sat there for a long time, and no one came after him. He could hear them calling for him, but they did not think to look for him here, and no one had seen him enter here. However as the light faded at last, he heard feet at the door. Instantly, Arod's head came up and he snorted aggressively, acting very protective over the disturbed elf. Whoever it was stopped, and the elf looked up as he heard Eowyn speak.

"This is Arod," she said. "I remember him. Always so fiery and restive! He seems to think highly of you though, and if he is so willing to guard you, then I know that Grima was false and you have not fallen to darkness, for he is a cautious beast."

The elf looked up at her, and Arod calmed a little. She leaned down and reached into the box, laying her hand on the side of his face. He felt sadness from her when she saw that his careful expression did not change.

"It is not your fault that this darkness is upon you," Eowyn said. "just as we cannot stop the darkness in this world. The wizard told us everything. It must have been so hard on you! It still is, I can see it haunts your face. My uncle does not fault you, and the men think very highly of you. They find it amusing to see such terror on Grima's face, after everything he put us through. Some of them men may not think it right, but you will not be thrown out. They will have to go through me first." the elf watched her face a moment.

"You are a strange woman," he said. "The women of the race of Man do not always show such heart."

"That is because they live in a cage," the woman said with a small smile. "Now come, and bring your wolf. The night is upon us, and you should be inside with the others. The horse stable is for brave beasts like Arod, but you belong with the men. Your friends are looking for you, so come inside and enjoy the food and drink and a bed for once. Mirkwood! That is a far journey for the path you have taken!"

"Thank you," the elf said with a small smile.

"For what?" the woman asked. The elf paused and turned his eyes towards her face.

"For reminding me that there are still people who can accept what has happened to me," he said. "Without me having to save them about ten or so times." The woman sounded grave.

"Such a hard life you have led," she cried. "nothing that a little bit of ale can't fix."

The elf laughed and let the woman pull him to his feet. He patted Arod goodbye and thanked him in elvish for being there for him when he needed him. The horse nuzzled the elf's hand and returned to eating hay. The elf and wolf followed the woman as she tugged the elf by the hand back to the large front steps, and the elf couldn't help but smile. She released his wrist and smoothed back down the skirt of her dress, smiling to the guards.

"You will each get a separate room," she said. "And plenty to eat. That is my job as a hostess. Your weapons have already been placed there, and no one will disturb you tonight, so you may rest in peace. Now come inside."

She led the elf inside the main hall, and turned down another hallway. The elf followed her footsteps silently, the smile falling from his face, though the mirth did not fall from his eyes. She led the elf to the dinning hall, where the rest of the Fellowship was now enjoying a meal and some rest. They looked up when they saw the elf renter, but they saw that he was now in a much better mood. The woman soon insisted that the elf sit and brought him a plate filled with food as well. Then she brought another that had a large leg bone of a deer and laid it down on the floor for Angrod. The wolf wagged his tail and seemed to think highly of the woman then, which amused the elf.

True to her promise the woman brought the elf some ale and set about her duties as a hostess. Soon a light banter had begun between the elf and the dwarf at the table, which seemed to worry some of the men from other tables. But they soon realized that the talk was playful and full of no malice, and they were amazed that the elf and the dwarf seemed to be friends, for such friendships were very rare. Aragorn and the wizard laughed along with the two friends.

The elf was told that the king had not joined them because he was mourning the death of his son and heir, as well as upset that Eomer, Eowyn's brother and the man who had given them Hasufel and Arod, had been banished. Grima had been banished as well, and sent away, and no one seemed upset at all about it. Life was beginning to return to Edoras, and the people had been told of the elf and his actions. Some were terrified to have a Wraith within their walls, but others were amazed that he was still so full of light, and so no one would dare try and throw him out.

Finally though, long after the sun had gone down, the Fellowship was then escorted to their separate rooms to rest during the night. The elf couldn't deny that he was exhausted, because he hadn't slept in at least several days. He went in the room and found it small but comfortable, with a bath off in a small room to the side. Gratefully he washed and dried himself, combing out his hair as well but letting it hang down for a while. Then he changed into something that was clean. Exhausted but feeling more refreshed than he had in a while, the elf laid down in the bed, and Angrod leaped up and curled up beside the elf. The elf soon fell asleep, and the dreams that came to him were more pleasant than they had been in a long time. The words of Grima that had so hurt the elf earlier, now faded away in the silence.

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**I like Eowyn, so I wanted to expand a little on her brave but very kind nature. I also hate Grima so I wanted to make him seem even more evil and despicable than he already was. XD Anyway, tell me what you thought of this chapter below if you feel like it. I love to hear from you guys, even if it's to correct my spelling. Though, I ask you say it in a nice way please. Criticism is also acceptable if you feel that is necessary. **


	13. White Horse of Rohan

**Well here we are again. Can you guys tell I like this story? I love writing about anime and things like that, but my real passion is writing strict fantasy style stories, which is why I fell in love with this Lord of the Rings story so easily. I like to write stories that people will enjoy, but I also use this account to practice and grow better at writing, because one day I want to publish a novel or series that is original. Lord of the Rings has always inspired me, and this story has already inspired several characters in a book that I'm writing! Wish me luck guys!**

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**Shout outs!**

**Teruhi (Haha, glad to see that someone else thought that would be an interesting twist to have Legolas shut Grima up. And I thought the interaction between Eowyn and Legolas was necessary for a little more light mood) mjg43 (Glad you liked it. I love Eowyn, so I wanted there to be a little interaction to add to her character in this story.) and NoxyTheProxy (Thanks for liking the story and I'll update soon so you can see what's going on.)**

**Following: Ciel Tombe, Lauriel, blackunicorne, roy23, and The Fire And The Ice. (Sorry if I missed anyone. It's getting harder and harder to keep track of the newer people.)**

**Thanks for all your support! It means a lot. :D**

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**Anyway, now I'm done rambling, so lets get onto the story, because most of you probably never even read this anyway. XD Also, I know that there's some "elvish" in this chapter, but again it's a basic translation so it's not supposed to be completely correct.**

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Legolas awoke after the sun had come up, and the gentle process of letting his body awaken on its own without being roused and having to leap forward into a run shortly afterward was a good change. He found that several of his muscles were sore, though he had ignored it for a long time when they were chasing after the Uruk-Hai. Now however the slight rest was doing wonders for him, and he would soon be ready to go once more, for there would be little rest in this war of the Ring.

The elf sat up, stretching his limber muscles a moment and wincing a little as a few of them pulled more than they should have, but not enough to be any sort of threat to his health. He then turned to the still sleeping wolf hand ran his thin fingers through the wolf's fur. Angrod awoke when he felt the touch, and the wolf yawned. But the elf was pleased to find that he was healing nicely and would soon be back to his old self. The elf patted the wolf's head and then stood, looking through his pack for a change of clothes.

The elf found that he only had one clean change left, but the others had all been taken at some point while he was asleep to be laundered, and to have the many rips and tears they had gotten throughout the journey this far mended. He changed into the last change of clothes he had and put the other down, folded neatly into a pile, because he knew that they would be picked up as well. Then the elf pulled back his bangs again, braiding them behind his head. Now that he was ready, he turned and opened the door, entering the hallway again.

The blind elf was unfamiliar with these halls, but Angrod could smell the others and went in front of the elf to lead him again down the hallways to where they were. The elf, as usual, followed the wolf's careful tread through the halls, always staying right behind the wolf. It still amazed people how he could follow the wolf so fearlessly, but his ears were sensitive enough to pick out the slightest change in tread as the wolf stepped up a flight of stairs or down, or paused to let someone else pass. Because of this the elf knew exactly what to expect when he came to where the wolf had been moments before, and he walked as confidently as he would if he had still had his eyes. It had taken several years, but he had trained himself to walk this way and follow someone else, and it was mostly this confidence in step that hid the fact that he was blind to anyone who didn't know.

The men of Rohan however did know that he was blind, and they were like most people surprised that he could find his way back to them. They saw the wolf, but they were still amazed that he could follow Angrod with such perfect accuracy. There was a bit of silence now, and Legolas could feel a little distrust in the air. But he ignored it and continued to walk on. Angrod led the elf straight to the rest of the Fellowship, who turned and greeted their elf warmly. He smiled a little in return and bowed his head to them a little.

Eowyn soon made a reappearance and insisted that the Fellowship sit and relax a while, bringing them yet more food. It was again a large spread, but the woman wouldn't take no for an answer. In truth, none of them had eaten this much since they had been in Rivendell, and it was also a welcome change, but they still felt that the woman was spending too much time on them. But she was proud serve them and give them as much comfort as she could. They had saved her uncle, and she, and seemingly most of Edoras, was more than happy to try and repay that kindness to them, even if they were a little wary of the elf.

The Fellowship ate and spoke to one another with light hearts, though they did not completely joke around with each other. Their hearts were still full of thoughts about Frodo and the Ring, and also with the war that would soon break over them. Grima would return to Saruman and surely bring pain down upon them all. That was what he was prone to do. And the thoughts that swirled around their heads made them confused. After a while, Legolas fell silent as he thought of all of these things. He was remembering much, and they were not pleasant memories. Even Gimli could not get a response from the elf after a while.

The elf turned his head towards the door when he heard it open however, looking that way though he could see nothing there. Someone came rushing in however, and the elf grew interested when the man asked where Theoden was. Eowyn told him, a little perplexed, but he ran off to find the king and didn't answer the questions of what was wrong. Once again interested in what was going on around him, the elf looked up at the others. They said nothing, but he could sense that they were just as confused as he was.

Eowyn soon leaped off to figure out what was going on, and the Fellowship looked at one another in confusion. Soon though, the woman returned and turned to them with troubled eyes. For a moment, no one said anything, and then Gandalf leaned forward.

"Now Eowyn," he said kindly. "I am old, but I am not blind. Even Legolas can tell that something is wrong, and he can't see your face. Now kindly tell us what has so gotten your ill attention my dear."

"Two children have arrived," she sighed. "They were riding a horse. The boy is unconscious, and the girl is too terrified of something to tell us what happened."

"Well," the wizard said. "We shouldn't rush them. They will recover and tell us. You will summon us again when they are both awake and prepared to speak? I think they will bring news that I will be ready to hear."

"Of course," she promised. "But for now, do not trouble yourselves with it. You should rest. I do not think my uncle would take kindly if I ill used our guests."

"That we will do my dear," the wizard replied with a smile. "That we will do."

The woman nodded and hurried off again with a worried face. The Fellowship silently turned and disappeared into their rooms. They had not much else to do but sit around and think here. There were no battles to fight and no people to be careful around. Legolas couldn't help but feel a little nervous because of this. He had grown so used to fighting and running for his life that this peace seemed to odd. With the elves, he had been fighting the darkness within himself. But here the silence was deafening. The elf sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Ah if his father and friends could see him now! He had made it so much farther than any of them had thought he would. Even himself! He was in Rohan! He was drawing closer and closer to Mordor with every step he took now, and though he wasn't with the Ring bearer any more, his part continued on. He was determined not to fall to the darkness now, because he had to look after Oropher, Saeros, and Angrod now as well.

His father and his people would be waiting there with little more than a few words from Lothlorien. He knew that they would still have little hope that he would survive. And yet, something had sparked inside of him that made him now want to survive, to fight on, and to never give into the darkness. He wasn't sure when, but something had sparked his fighting spirit again, that determination that he was so known for. Perhaps Grima Wormtongue had affected the elf in more ways than he thought, or perhaps since Legolas knew that the two Wraiths needed him to survive had done it. Either way, there was fire in his eyes again, for only now had he realized it. Angrod looked up and was surprised to find the prince much the same as he had been before their incident, only without the use of his eyes. Other than that, he was the same.

The wolf looked up at the elf, completely amazed, and yet relieved at the same time. The wolf nudged the elf's arm, whining a little at him. The elf seemed startled out of his thoughts a minute, but then Legolas looked down at the wolf and smiled.

"It's alright my friend," he said. "Nothing's wrong. I've simply remembered how to be myself again. Perhaps I've found my courage. But I know this: no matter what happens now, I will fight. I will not doubt. And I will never regret the choice I made to join the Fellowship."

The wolf seemed very happy then, but though he wagged his tail he stayed silent. The elf was lost in his thoughts for many more minutes. Yes, he couldn't fall. And the more he thought of it, the more he decided that he couldn't fear the darkness anymore, not at least like he had. He had to be strong, because if he wasn't, those that needed him most would not be able to stand long. The determination swept through his soul, and now as he thought of the Great Eye and Sauron, he felt anger instead of fear. A righteous anger. He knew that now it was time to face his fear.

There was a knock on his door. The elf was startled a little out of his thoughts, but the wolf didn't seem to be bothered at all by it. He looked up and closed his eyes a minute to collect his thoughts.

"Yes?" he asked at last. "What is it?"

The door opened, and a man that the elf didn't recognize stepped in. Legolas could sense that he was very nervous around the elf, and he could hear as he shifted his weight nervous from one foot to the other. But the elf sat very still and patient, and the man at last overcame his fear of the elf enough to speak to him.

"King Theoden," he said. "requests your presence and that of your Fellowship in his halls. The two children are awake now, and he would like our foreign guests to come as well."

"Thank you," the elf said. "I will come shortly."

The man quickly bowed and left, glad to be out of the presence of the elf. Legolas sighed a moment, and then stood to collect his thoughts. Once again, Angrod slipped out in front of the elf to lead him down the hallway. The elf paused at the door. That man had definitely left quickly! The elf couldn't even hear his footfalls anymore! Some of the old loneliness crept back into his heart again, but then he shoved the thoughts out of his head.

He paused then though, because he heard quick little feet. They were small, and there was little weight behind the steps. Even the hobbits had heavier foot falls than that! A child then? The elf listened silently, and Angrod paused as well to listen. The elf sighed a little quietly, then stepped out into the hallway.

Instantly a child crashed somewhat painfully into his legs. It was a girl, or that he was certain when he heard the tiny voice begin to cry. The elf leaned down and extended his hand to her, gently laying his hands on the side of her face. He hadn't realized she was as close as she was. He would have to pay better attention and learn how to hear better within halls full of as many echos as this one.

"I am sorry," he told her honestly. "It was my mistake little one. But where are you going in such a rush?"

The child looked up at him, and she seemed scared at first, until she saw the elf's face. Then she could only stare, and he understood why. This human child had probably only ever heard tales of elves before, and yet now she was right in front of one. The elf smiled a little at her, and her crying calmed slowly. Then she looked at the elf sheepishly.

"Where's momma?" she asked. "And my brother? They said I could see him when he woke up."

"You were frightened," the elf said understandingly. "That is alright. It is alright to be scared. You came earlier today on the horse with your brother yes?" The child nodded. The elf paused a moment. "I am sorry but could you speak to me more? I cannot see you. I am blind."

"You're blind?" the child gasped. The elf smiled patiently.

"Yes," he said. "Which is why we crashed into each other. Now come, tell me why you were scared. You are safe here." The child was quiet a moment.

"They said I could see my brother," he said. "But then they said they would bring him in, and the king came in to speak to me. He scares me." The elf laughed, a clear and bright laugh.

"You have no need to fear Theoden," the elf said. "He is a good king, and he does what he thinks best for his people. I am going there as well, and I am sure your brother will be there."

"Promise?" the girl asked with wide eyes.

"I do," the elf said with a smile. Then the child looked down and saw Angrod and grew afraid again. The elf seemed confused a moment then realized what was wrong and laughed again. "Don't worry. Angrod is very well trained. He is my good friend, and he wouldn't hurt you."

"But it is a wolf," the child cried.

"Not a wolf," the elf said with another smile. "Not exactly. You see sometimes elves can choose to be reborn into another body to finish something whenever they die. He is one of these, and he has been my good friend for many years. He is not a wolf, and he understands us very well."

The child seemed unsure still of the wolf though, and continued to stare at it. The elf smiled and reached forward and gently took the child's hand and slowly guided it towards the wolf. The child tried to pull away, still terrified of the creature, but the elf held on gently and laughed. His clear voice seemed to calm the child, and the elf let the child's fingertips brush the wolf's nose.

Angrod's nose twitched a little as her fingers brushed over the soft fur near the sensitive nose of the wolf. But he remained still and quiet, as patient as the elf he often guided onwards. He didn't want to frighten her. Slowly the girl reached forward and began to pet the wolf's head, and Angrod sat as still and quiet as a dog would. The elf released the girl's hand and laughed again, a very joyful sound.

"See?" he said. "There is nothing to fear, for he is not one of the predators that you are used to seeing. Of course, you must remain cautious of wolves, but not this one. Now come. Will you accompany, my young lady, to where the others are waiting?"

The elf stood and offered his hand to the young girl. She looked up at the elf, but she didn't seem scared of him at all. She hesitated a moment, and then she stood and he felt her tiny hand wrap into his slender fingers. He gently wrapped his hand around hers and smiled at her. He was unsure if she returned the smile or not, but the elf closed the door to his room and turned to face the way she had come. Once again Angrod slipped in front of the elf, and Legolas followed him after the hall.

The child was silent, and didn't ask how the elf was able to walk down the hall so quickly. He could tell that she was nervous from the slightest twitching of her hand in his. But she didn't try to run away again and continued to cling to the elf that was gently coaxing her down the hallway with him. Once they grew close to the king's room however, she reached up and grabbed a hold of the elf's arm. He smiled at her patiently and paused.

"You do not have to fear," he said.

She didn't say anything, but he could tell that she was still nervous. He stood their patiently for her to work up her courage again. He wouldn't force her. Like most elves, he loved the children of all races for their purity of spirit. She was an example of this, so innocent and unchanged by the world's hatred and indifference, as well as the world's prejudices.

But before the elf could speak again to ask her if she was ready, Eowyn came around the corner. She saw the elf with the child and quickly crossed the space over to the child and knelt in front of her. She reached up with a smile and laid her hand on her face.

"Hello dear," Eowyn said. "I see you found our blind elf. Did you lead him here? That's so kind of you." The elf smiled at her in return, though he could not see her slight wink up at him.

"Very kind," the elf replied, somewhere between a laugh and trying to keep a level face.

"Come dear," the woman said, holding out her hand to the child. "Do you wish to see your brother? He has been worried since we could not find you. The elf will be fine without your care a while."

The child pulled herself closer to the elf's arm, shaking her head vigorously. She seemed scared to leave him, but the elf smiled patiently as the woman laid her hand gently on the child's shoulder.

"Come now," Eowyn said. "There's nothing to fear. Legolas will not hate you for leaving. Come, you must be hungry and tired. I will take you to your brother, and you will both eat well for a while."

At the promise of food the child at last nodded and let the woman take her hand and lead her away. Legolas smiled a little after the child, then stepped forward and followed Angrod back to the others as well. Gandalf turned and looked at the elf a moment, and the rest of the Fellowship did as well. They could see the change in the way he walked. They were amazed to see the new confidence the elf had, as well as the new determination in his eyes.

"Well," Gandalf greeted the elf quietly. "It seems you've had plenty of time to think my dear prince. Have you regained your strength again?"

"Yes Mithrandir," the elf replied with a smile. "I have. And I am ready to fight again."

"Glad to see it lad," the dwarf said with a smile.

"And we will need that strength again I think," Aragorn added, laying his hand on the elf's shoulder.

They all fell silent then because Theoden returned. He turned and surveyed the Fellowship, then turned to the two children. They were eating the stew that Eowyn had brought them and the boy was talking to her quietly between bites as she knelt beside him. She paled a little as she listened to them. Then she looked up at her uncle.

"They had no warning," Eowyn said. "They were unarmed. Now the wild men are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go."

"Where's mamma?" the girl asked with a slight panic. The woman gently shushed her and guided her back to the food. Then she looked up again.

"And they bore the white hand of Saruman," Gimli said. "This was before he was cast out. Now he will be wanting his revenge and come back in force."

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash," Gandalf said. "All the more potent for he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children." He leaned in closer to the king. "You must fight."

"You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak," Aragorn suggested. "Eomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king."

"They will be three hundred leagues from here by now," Theoden cried. "Eomer cannot help us. I know what it is you want of me but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."

"Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not," Aragorn cried.

"When I last checked," the king said testily. "Theoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan."

The elf winced a little, because even he could sense the change in the air. The situation was growing very tense. Even the children looked up from their bowls nervously as they looked between the two men. But then Gandalf stepped forward.

"And what is the king's decision?" the wizard asked.

The king was silent a moment, and then turned to his nearest guard. He told him to make the people ready to head for Helm's Deep. Gimli began to argue about the point of making for the mountains, and not fighting, but Theoden would not hear the reason in their words. Legolas on the other hand remained silent, because suddenly foreboding had fallen over him, and it was very close. Gandalf sighed and turned, walking purposely out of the halls. The rest of the Fellowship followed him, and soon he came to the horse stables, ducking inside and calling for the stable boy to bring him Shadowfax. Outside the people were packing up to leave quickly.

"He's only doing what he thinks best for his people," Aragorn said with a sigh. "Helm's Deep has saved them in the past."

"There is no way out of that ravine," Gandalf said grimly. "Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety, what they will get is a massacre. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold."

"They will hold," Aragorn promised just as grimly.

Gandalf swung up onto the great horse's back. As he did so Legolas again shifted nervously, sensing something again. Something was drawing near, some danger that none of them had foreseen. Soon it would be here, and he knew that the wizard's leaving was no good omen. Still, he knew it must be done.

"The Grey Pilgrim," the wizard said. "That's what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of men I've walked this earth and now I have no time. With luck my search will not be in vain. Look to my coming at the first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east."

With those words the white wizard commanded the horse, and they leaped away, disappearing into the plains of Rohan. The gates were closed soon after. As Legolas stood there, he felt Arod nuzzle his hand. The horse could sense that something was wrong, and that the elf had sensed it. The elf patted the horse's head gently and sighed a little. But they were all preoccupied with thoughts and none of the others noticed the elf's nervousness.

They returned inside, with nothing else to do as the people prepared to leave. It would be some time yet before they had everything organized, and the Fellowship would be heading to Helm's Deep with the people of Rohan. It would take some time, because the women, children, and elderly would take some time to prepare to move. But Legolas could not shake the feeling of dread that he felt.

The elf let his feet wander, and eventually he found himself at the top of the guard tower. There was only one guard up there, who glanced at the elf quite nervously. He didn't trust him one bit, but the king had expressed his gratitude towards the elf, and so he let him stay. The elf's keen eyes began to scan the surrounding plains. It had been nearly an hour since Gandalf had left, and with the great horse and running with all speed he would be long lost among the plains. But the elf was looking all the same, and he looked down.

Legolas felt the color drain from his face a little as he looked down at them. Their presence as always made him feel fear, but he knew that he could not panic. They were here now, and they were very silent. He could see them, nine individual dots of darkness, framed in the otherworldly light of the Wraith world. The Ring Wraiths. They were sitting their on their horses. The man saw the elf's face and looked at him nervously.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Look there," the elf said. "Do you see those riders in black?"

"Yes but-" the man said.

He never finished his sentence. At the same time, one of the Wraiths raised something, and the elf realized that he had raised a bow. Instantly he saw where it was pointing and leaped into action, grabbing the young guard and pulling him to the ground. The dull sound of an arrow striking flesh was heard, and the elf gasped as he fell, pain lancing up his arm. The arrow that had been meant for the man buried itself deeply into his arm. The elf sat up and reached for it with gritted teeth.

Down below shouts were beginning to go up, because some had seen Legolas pull the young man down and some had seen the arrow. The guard looked up and saw the arrow in the elf's arm and quickly grabbed his arm as if to stop him from pulling it out. He didn't seem like he knew what to do, but he grabbed the elf's shoulders to steady him.

"The elf's injured," the young man cried.

There was yet more confusion down below. Aragorn however had heard the shout and ran up to Legolas, ducking for fear of more arrows. Another flew over head that was aimed at the man, but he ducked under it. The man turned and called for no one else to follow, because they were lucky that no one was dead. As soon as he had said it, there came a loud shriek from outside, and panic from inside. The cry of a Wraith.

Aragorn paled a little as well but turned to the elf. He looked at him a moment, and then grabbed the shaft of the arrow and pulled it out. The elf couldn't help but moan a little, but he didn't try and pull away. Aragorn put pressure on the wound as he looked at the shaft. He sighed a little.

"We're lucky that Legolas took the arrow and not you," he told the guard. "Legolas can survive this without much difficulty, because he is already part Wraith, and they cannot pull him into the Wraith realm so easily, though we'll have to treat it. This is a Morgul shaft."

The young guard paled instantly and glanced out towards the area that the Wraiths were in. Aragorn however knew that they had to help the elf, and he quickly helped the elf to his feet and helped him down the stairs. The man followed as well and they quickly made for the king's keep. They pulled the elf inside and over to a chair. Panic was beginning to descend upon Edoras, and Eowyn came running around the corner. She froze and gasped when she saw the elf, but Aragorn quickly asked her to bring him some supplies.

The elf was very still and patient with the man. He noticed that the guard was still nervously standing nearby. He couldn't just leave the elf who had just saved his life. Gimli and Angrod soon found the injured elf as well and the dwarf demanded to know what happened as the wolf licked the elf's hand worriedly. But Aragorn waved them away as Eowyn returned and he had Legolas remove his shirt so he could look at the wound more closely. He began to doctor it as best he could, and Theoden came in.

"What is going on?" the king demanded, then stopped when he saw the injured elf. The guard explained to him what happened, and the king turned back worriedly to the elf.

"It's not so bad," the man said, assuring them all that the elf was fine. "He is strong enough to resist its poison. He will have a scar, but he will be fine."

"But why are the Nazgul here?" the king demanded. There was silence a moment. The elf slipped his shirt back on and sighed.

"They are here because of me," he said. "Because I am visible in their world. For whatever reason, they want to capture me. That is why they are here." He instantly felt Eowyn's hand grab his forearm firmly.

"We cannot let them take you," she cried.

"Indeed we cannot," the king agreed. "You have saved my people twice now Legolas."

"But neither can you move while they stand outside," the elf pointed out. "They are waiting for me to come out."

There was a heavy silence suddenly. They knew that the elf was correct, and to ever flee to Helm's Deep they would have to get the Ring Wraiths to move. Then suddenly Aragorn looked up, because he knew the elf well.

"No," he cried. "You cannot!" Nearly everyone else seemed perplexed, but the elf turned to the man, a little irritated.

"If not then how else?" the elf asked. "If I go, they will follow, and it will give these people the time they need to make it to Helm's Deep."

"You cannot throw your life away," Eowyn gasped. The elf smiled.

"Who says that I will throw it away?" he asked. Then he turned towards Aragorn and Gimli. "I have done it before, and I can do it again." Then he turned to the man and switched to speaking in elvish. "_Aragorn, I cannot stay here. They will only grow weary of waiting and __come inside. Then everyone will be in danger._"

"_You cannot go,_" the man replied. "_It is too dangerous! They will run you down!_"

"_Saeros and Oropher will not be far,_" the elf insited. "_They will help me. I will not fall to them. Not now._"

The man fell silent. The elf could tell that he was still not liking the idea at all, but also that the elf had convinced him. There was silence from everyone else as well. Gimli looked up at his friend, suddenly feeling very worried for him.

"That will be a hard ride lad," he said. "There will be no telling if you can evade them, and even if you do, it will take longer for you to reach Helm's Deep. You still want to do it?"

"I must mellon-nin," the elf said, calling the dwarf his friend without a second thought. "There is no other way." Theoden stepped forward and laid his hands on the elf's shoulders.

"Then I wish you luck, and godspeed," the king of Rohan said. "With luck, we will all make it in time to reach Helm's Deep. Take Arod, he is fast and he seems loyal to you."

"I will see you at Helm's Deep," the elf promised. He turned to the wolf. "You must stay with Aragorn my friend." the wolf nodded sadly.

The elf stood and tested the sore muscle, and then turned and left before anyone could say anything else. He walked outside quickly and went to the stables, calling Arod over to him in the stall and nuzzled the blind elf's face. He patted the horse's nose.

"I will need your speed my friend," he said softly. "And your courage. We have a long road ahead of us."

The horse nuzzled the elf's hand, seeming to understand him. The elf reached forward with slightly trembling hands to open the front of the stable box. It was strange to be afraid yet feel no fear. His body was definitely afraid of the Ring Wraiths, and his whole being told him to not go on this dangerous mission of his. But there was no fear in his heart, only determination. He let Arod out of his stable box, and then after some difficulty, swung up onto the horse's back, and gripped the harness tightly.

"_Run my friend,_" he told the horse in elvish softly. "_Run and show me the speed of the steeds of Rohan._"

The horse didn't exactly understand the elf's words, but he was getting better at understanding elvish, and understood that the blind elf on his back needed to leave and with haste. He could hear the urgency in his voice. He sensed the elf's natural fear, and it made the charger angry. But he also sensed the elf's determination and it made the horse read to go and carry his rider swiftly. Arod had been fond of his old master, but he was nothing if not a loyal beast, and he knew that a special touch was needed with the blind elf.

The horse trotted out into the streets of Edoras and to the front gate. The horse could sense the fear now in the air, but he pawed the ground angrily and snorted. Legolas patted the horse's neck a moment. He would have to put so much trust into the horse! He would have to let the horse carry him and know where to go! But he supposed he'd have to trust the horse enough, and he felt like he could. The elf took a deep breath and didn't look behind him to see anyone watching him as the gates were swung open. He didn't want to second guess himself.

"Go to Fangorn," the elf said. "We will evade them there."

The horse seemed to understand and gave a throw of his head. Then as soon as the gates were open far enough, Arod shot through and raced away in the direction of Fangorn forest. The elf leaned into the horse's stride so he could run faster and Arod poured all his strength into fleeing. The gates were closed again, and everyone watched the elf race away. Nearly instantly, there came nine cries from the Ring Wraiths and they turned their steeds to chase him. He hardly had any distance between him and them at all.

Ahead though he saw two more Wraiths spring into motion. They both gave out their cries as well, and gasps went up from from Edoras. But Legolas glanced up at the two elvish Wraiths, and saw determination on their faces. They knew he had to escape the Ring Wraiths. Soon the black horses came within inches of the white horse. But Arod didn't even pause or change his course, and to the astonishment of the people of Edoras, the two Wraiths rocketed past the elf and Arod and ran straight towards the Ring Wraiths.

The elf didn't look behind him, but he heard as there was complete chaos as the two groups of Wraiths collided. Though there were only two of the elvish Wraiths, they were vicious in protecting their prince, and the confusion that they added among the Ring Wraiths gave the prince the time to gain a good head start.

Even when the Twin Wraiths turned and fled in another direction and the Ring Wraiths took off again after the elf, they would not catch him, because Arod knew these lands better, was full of stamina, and would not allow harm to befall the blind elf he was so fond of. The white horse of Rohan plowed onward, racing away with all the speed and stamina that had been passed down by his sire, and more determination than had been seen in Rohan in many years among the horses. Arod of Rohan was a faithful beast, and so the fiery white horse and his rider would not fall to the Black Riders of Mordor.

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**Again, sort of a cliff hanger. So sorry about that. But I thought I needed to make Legolas a little more epic in this chapter, as well as sort of bring back in Saeros and Oropher. Also, I wanted to give some explanation as to how Arod learns so much of the elvish language in the next chapter. So thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed! Leave a review below if you feel like it. :D**


	14. The Elf's Blades

**NOTE: This chapter has been edited and now fits with the canon. I decided I didn't like the other version.**

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**Well here we go again! I wanted to start as soon as possible with the chapter where Arod and Legolas were running from the Ring Wraiths, just because it would be a nice change and I really wanted to show the time they spent together and learned about one another. It should be interesting, and sorry it's longer than the last chapter! xD**

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**Shout outs!**

**NoxyTheProxy (Thanks again for your kind words! Reviews like this make me happy and makes me want to continue writing! :D) and PeregrinTook1390 (Don't take this review to seriously ;D Pippin! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be convincing Treebeard to destroy Isengard! Go do your part for the story line! Jk. Thanks for liking the story! xD)**

**Following: yutzpracachi! **

**Thanks for all your support guys! :D**

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**Anyway, here goes the chapter! I hope you enjoy and leave a comment if you feel like it! It makes me feel good. :D I as usual changed some things to fit in better with this chapter. **

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Legolas winced a little as the horse took another dip and his injured arm was pulled again. The Ring Wraiths were slowly falling behind, and they didn't dare shoot their bows for fear of taking out the horse and killing the elf at such a high speed. He could hear behind him as they began to give out more and more shrill cries of anger, trying to call him to them. But he ignored them. He couldn't check Arod's pace anyway. The white horse was determined to not fall to the Black Riders. He had been at this dead run since they had left Edoras a day ago. They had been forced to turn their path a little because one of the Nazgul had almost cut them off, but Arod was determined to not let his elf be caught. Now at last the forest was coming into sight.

Legolas gritted his teeth. He was worried for the horse. If he kept this up then he would surely die! How had he not after running so hard for so long! Surely this creature was a beast of legend! How else would he be so strong, surefooted, and swift? In the forest they could lose the Wraiths and at last find rest for both the weary horse and the weary elf. And they would need a long rest. But there the elf was most at home, and they would be able to disappear, for those trees were alive and hated the agents of Sauron as much as they hated orcs. The elf too was beginning to fear the wear of so long a ride, and his legs hurt as well as his arms were beginning to fatigue. But the elf leaned forward into the stride of the horse and willed him to run on.

There was a scream from behind him as one of the horses' heart burst, and with a shriek from the Wraith, they fell to the earth. The others ran on, calling to Legolas and hoping to get him to turn to them instead. Their exhausted steeds would soon be able to take them no further. Arod on the other hand saw the pile of carcasses that they had passed before, and put everything he had into the last stretch. The elf sensed as they passed under the trees, and he could hear the trees being startled awake and talking to one another. But the trees threw up a barrier as the Wraiths tried to follow, and obviously stopped them, for there were many cries of rage from the Wraiths who could only watch as Legolas disappeared into the darkness of the trees.

Arod still ran on too, running until he had left the edge of the trees behind. He ran deep into the forest and then ground to a stop. The elf leaped off his back, and as one the horse and the elf crashed into the ground, glad to finally have some time to rest. Both of their chests were heaving heavily. Legolas closed his eyes, and he let his hand touch the trunk of the three behind him. He felt the ancient spirit stir within it.

"_You have traveled a long way young one,_" the tree said. "_You and your beast are very tired. I have heard from the other trees what you were running from. Terrible foes indeed. Yet I sense no fear of them in your heart._"

"_I used to fear them,_" the elf responded in his mind. "_For there is darkness within me as well, as I know you can feel._"

"_Yes I can feel it,_" the ancient spirit replied. "_But I can feel determination within you as well. And though it has been there long, you have fought it just as long. You will not fall to it I think. Why though were you running from them?_" The elf told the tree everything that had happened since he had left Edoras, and the ancient spirit listened carefully. The elf found nothing strange in talking to the tree, because the tree was wise, and elves had long spoken to them. "_That is indeed a tale. But you are strong. You have commanded and turned two Wraiths rogue. That is the words from a legend as well. And your beast is no small creature either, and has no shortage of heart, for he has carried you here. The Valar must favor you indeed. And for that I cannot fault you, though you did so rudely crash into my roots._"

"_For that I apologize,_" the elf said. "_It was entirely my fault, and I hope no harm has come to you._" the tree seemed amused.

"_I am not the temperamental trees of your home,_" the tree said. "_I am old and wise, and my roots are strong. No harm will come to me. I know your kind well, and the darkness of Mirkwood, for I have heard tales of it from other trees. Ah to see Greenwood fall because of Sauron! It is not something that we can easily forgive. But you are different from other elves of your kind. Your darkness has made you wiser and more full of light, as strange as that sounds. You will return to Greenwood I think, and make it fair again._"

"_For your kind words I thank you,_" Legolas said.

"_I think you will find these are more than kind words, Morning Star,_" the tree said. "_I heard from the fair trees of Lothlorien of your new title, and it fits well I think. Now you and your loyal beast may rest beneath my boughs, and nothing will disturb your slumber, for your kind spirit has earned this rest well._"

The trees branches overhead shifted so that it blocked out any light filtering inside, and the area around the elf grew shaded and pleasantly cool. The elf couldn't even thank the tree or shift into a more comfortable position. He was asleep withing moments, and the kindly tree shifted its roots so that the elf and his horse were nestled comfortably inside its strong roots. The elf was so tired that no dreams disturbed his sleep, and though animals passed by and glanced towards him, they did not fear the elf or go to investigate, so the elf and his horse slept on.

Arod awoke first, and so great was their exhaustion that they slept for a day! He found that he liked this new freedom the elf gave him. Elves never tied their horses because they trusted the animal. The horse stood again though his muscles ached and did not seem to mind the tree at all though it moved a little to free the horse's thin legs from injury. In all appearances he appeared to be an elvish horse, and completely at home in the forest. He leaned down to lap at the sweet water in pools around the tree's roots to soothe his burning throat and ate shoots of grass to fill his aching stomach. Then once he had had his fill of both he turned back to the elf and nuzzled his arm gently. He didn't stir, so the horse stood by his side like a guard to protect him.

Legolas awoke nearly an hour later, and he was very refreshed by the rest. He pulled out his water skin and drank, and then ate some of the lembas bread as well. Then he felt Arod nudge his arm a little and smiled up at the horse and patted his nose. The elf stood and placed his hand on the tree.

"_Thank you for giving us shelter while we needed it,_" he said. "_Our pace to Helm's Deep will be much less strenuous._" The tree lifted its branches in farewell.

"_Go then and be safe young Prince,_" the tree said.

The elf removed his hand from the tree and the connection was ended. Then the elf stepped forward and patted Arod's face again. He was dreading the long ride a little, because he was tired of riding the horse, but he wasn't going to complain. He smiled instead as the horse blew a little air fondly into his face. They had outrun Wraiths together afterall.

"Come my friend," the elf said. "Let us go to Helm's Deep and worry our friends no farther."

He felt for the harness, and then pulled himself up onto the horse's wide shoulders. He was much better at riding the horse now, and much better of getting onto his back. The horse was pleased to notice this as well, and pleased that the elf now trusted him so much to go where he was told. He knew where find Helm's Deep and where to go, though he was glad that the elf didn't need to go nearly as fast. So the horse turned and set off at a much slower pace towards the stronghold of Rohan.

They left the forest carefully, but there was no sign of the Ring Wraiths. Again they had left, and so the elf sighed a little relief and patted the horse's neck reassuringly. They went along at steady pace to conserve their strength, and though Legolas knew it would take longer to reach Helm's Deep this way, he would rather not go straight into a headlong run that way. So they took their time, and soon they had entered into the grassy realms of Rohan.

As they went along, Legolas realized that the horse didn't know much elvish, if any at all, and that he would need to learn now that he followed the elf's commands. So as they went along Legolas began carefully schooling the horse, because unlike men the elf knew that the horse was intelligent and willing to learn. He would first say a word in the common tongue, and then repeat it to the horse in elvish. He would do this several times until he thought he had said it enough that the horse could understand him when he spoke. He moved on to harder and harder words, and though the horse moved on and did not show that he understood, Arod picked it up quickly and was honored to learn the language of the elves, so that he could understand Legolas' commands now.

Legolas taught many words to the horse, not simply commands. He made sure to teach the horse as many words as he could, and the bright animal soon caught on. Eventually, Legolas stopped talking in the comman tongue altogether and spoke softly in elvish to the horse. The horse began to learn words that he didn't know in elvish as he put the words into context, and the loyal horse of Rohan soon learned more in his few hours with the elf than many horses did in several years.

The elf then tested the horse's knowledge of the language, giving him commands such as "stop" and "go". The horse instantly responded to them. Then the elf went onto harder commands like "turn left", "Turn right", "Wait here", "Follow me", "find" and other such things. The horse responded to any command that the elf could think of, though for the most part the elf knew that he would have to trust the horse to know where he was going and to carry him. He began to have long sentences to the horse in elvish as well, telling the horse to stop in the middle of a sentence or to wait because he thought he had seen something. Arod was very alert and paid attention well. Soon the elf was satisfied that he had learned much of the elvish language, and would get better as time went on.

The sun had begun to go down at this point, and the elf told the horse to stop and slipped off his back. He wanted to conserve his and the horse's strength as long as he could. They still had a long ride ahead of them. The elf laid down for a while, hoping to get some sleep and relax for a while before they had to leave again. Arod stood guard nearby, grazing on the grass and looking up at any sound he heard. There was little danger though, and nothing disturbed the elf.

Legolas was awake again before the dawn, and he quickly ate some lembas bread before calling Arod over to him again. The white horse instantly responded and came over, offering his back to the elf. Legolas felt for the harness and then pulled himself up onto the horse's back without too much difficulty. He was getting better at hearing where the horse was, and remembering where the harness was so he could pull himself up. Also, he was getting better at figuring how high he had to swing his limber legs to get over the top of the horse's back. Arod patiently waited until the elf was in his seat, and then waited again until Legolas gave him the command in elvish to go forward at a light trot. Arod easily followed the order.

Thus began the third day since they had left Edoras. For a while the elf was silent, thinking of how they would all be worried now about him, and also wondering if Gandalf had any luck in finding Eomer. He thought of Frodo, Sam and the Ring, and also of Merry and Pippin, whatever they were doing. He wondered about many things, but at last he shook the thoughts out of his mind, knowing that there was no point in worrying over it. He began again to speak to the horse in elvish, and he found that the horse seemed to enjoy hearing the fair words. He then brought the animal into a full gallop and got the horse used to not faltering as the elf let go and messed with his bow, pulling the string though he didn't release an arrow.

It was hard at first, and the elf had to coax the animal back into a run again. But eventually the horse got used to feeling the elf's strong legs grow tighter around his body and his balance alone keep him from falling off. The elf also got the horse used to the sound of blades behind its head, which was easier since the horse was used to such sounds. He was a war charger of Rohan after all, and he was no stranger to battles, only a stranger to the elf's way of fighting.

Once the elf was satisfied with Arod's progress, he slowed him again to a light trot and then silently patted the horse's neck as they went along. He was genuinely impressed by the horse's willing nature, though he was fiery and sometimes hard to control, he was loyal and brave. Even many elvish horses would not be brave enough to run straight between two Wraiths without even batting an eye! He was also very willing to learn and didn't spook at all. He was a fine animal all in all, and the elf trusted him completely to carry him where he needed to go safely. The horse did not bolt like others of his kind, for fear of the blind elf, and also fear of the darkness within him. Legolas was sure that even if he did become a Wraith, the horse would still carry him faithfully and not fear him. The elf soon stopped the horse and they both slept.

The fourth day repeated the same process, until the elf was again satisfied that the horse was getting used to his strange fighting style. He then commanded the horse to go into a full gallop, and Arod happily obliged. They had little time now to lose, and they had to reach Helm's Deep with all the speed they could muster. In this head long run again, they soon passed Edoras. Here Legolas commanded that the elf pause and wait a moment as he searched the area, but he saw no sign of Saeros and Oropher, so he told the horse to find the path the people took and follow it.

Again the horse did as he was told, and soon they were racing away after the train that had long reached the fortress. They ran onwards, and the miles melted away underneath the hooves of the faithful white horse. But Arod was also very perceptive, and he stopped when he came upon a scene of dead men, horses, orcs and wargs. The elf noticed instantly that the horse had stopped and swung down off of his back to figure out why. His boot soon found the side of a dead warg, and his nose caught the scent of decay. Slowly, he searched the area, but found no sign at all of his friends, until a glint of darkness caught his eye, from something small and filled with light.

He bend down and found it in the hand of a dead orc. He took it carefully and examined it with his fingers. It was the necklace that had once belonged to Arwen, and now belonged to Aragorn. Where the man was, he did not know. But he did know that he would want the jewel back. He slipped it around his own neck, because he had no where else to put it at the moment. He had left his pack behind in his haste. He returned to Arod and got back onto the horse's back. He didn't fear for the man, because there was nothing to fear. He knew that Aragorn was not dead yet. So he commanded the horse forward again, and Arod raced away down the path again.

They were making good time, and the elf knew that if they didn't run into any difficulties, they would reach Helm's Deep soon. He had never been in Rohan before, but the way the horse began to slow his pace a little when clearly he could run much longer, let the elf know that the horse recognized where they were going and that they would soon be there. The elf patted the horse's neck a little. Ah if his old master was watching, he would be surprised! He knew the horse to be surefooted, swift, and loyal. But to see him carrying an elvish rider like he had done it for years and listening to his commands! He would be surprised. The horse wasn't that old. He was only about four or so, and he was in great condition. So the elf was honored that the horse would so be willing to carry him on his back, for he was a splendid beast.

As they were running however, and growing closer to Helm's Deep, the elf heard a noise and called for the horse to stop. Arod instantly heeded the command and froze. The elf looked around carefully, but there was nothing to be seen to his eyes. He trusted his keen hearing however and so he didn't move, and after several minutes, he heard the sound again. It was a child crying, a younger boy by the sound of it. He was scared and alone.

The elf swung off the horse's back and followed the sound. Soon the crying fell silent, as if the child was terrified of the elf. But Legolas smiled gently to him.

"What are you doing here little one?" the elf asked. "Did you get left behind on the way to Helm's Deep?" There was silence a moment, and then the child spoke.

"Yes," he said, terrified.

"Then there is no need to fear," Legolas said gently. "I am going there too. You may come and ride with me, and we will return you to your mother."

The child seemed absolutely terrified, but then he crawled out of his hiding hole. It was not very deep or very concealed, but to the scared child it was the only safe place he had. He recognized the elf however, and went over to him. Legolas instantly smiled and picked the boy up in his arms, carrying him over to the horse and putting him on top of him. Then he swung up easily onto the horse without a single pause, sitting behind the child. He adjusted the child so that neither of them could fall. Now again he felt his wounded arm give a pang, but he ignored it and spoke softly to the horse, urging him to go on, but to go carefully so the child wouldn't fall.

Arod obeyed, and they began to make the last leg of the journey to Helm's Deep. They went slower now, but the elf could hear as the pass began to widen out again, and farther inside the bowl of the land he knew he saw Helm's Deep. Ahead, he heard a horse, and seeing nothing, he called for Arod to go faster. They came up beside the other person.

"Legolas," Aragorn greeted the blind elf with relief. "I am glad to see you're alright."

"Why are you out here mellon-nin?" the elf asked.

"I fell off a cliff," the man sighed. "But Hasufel found me and brought me back." the he grew serious. "And now I have grave news for Theoden."

"We will hear it I suppose," the elf said. "But I have something of yours."

The elf pulled off the necklace and held it out to the man. Aragorn gasped a little and quickly grabbed it, holding it gingerly between his fingers. He was silent a moment, then looked up again at the smiling elf.

"Thank you," he said.

"I found it earlier today," the elf explained. "And I knew I should return it. Arod is a strong beast. He carried me beyond the reach of the Nazgul all the way to Fangorn Forest. There we turned and made our way back. It took us an entire day to reach Fangorn, for they tried to cut us off. But he never once slowed, and I know now that I can trust him."

"I am glad you are unharmed," the man said. "But the child?"

"He was left behind," the elf said. "So I found him and offered to take him with me." The man paused a moment and looked at the elf.

"It's strange," he said. "You are trapped within the darkness, and yet you act so full of light! You put everyone else before you. Why is that?" The elf smiled a little.

"Perhaps it is because there is too much darkness in the world already," the elf replied. "for me to act upon the darkness in my heart."

The man was silent. The elf's words were true, and he found himself surprised and not only how kind, but also how wise the elf had become over the course of their journey. The darkness had hurt him, but it had also helped him to grow. Aragorn suddenly found himself very proud of the elf, and thinking that when he returned to Mirkwood, he would bring light back to that forest, and become a great king after all. Because just as the elf had been sure that the man would live, the man was sure that the elf would survive and return. In a slightly better mood now, Aragorn prepared to bring Hasufel into a faster pace, letting the elf hear that he was going to do so.

"Come then," the man said. "The people of Rohan have feared for our sakes enough now. Let us return as well."

The man spurred Hasufel forward, and Legolas gave Arod a soft command. They picked up their pace a little as they neared the gates, and Legolas could hear the horses' hooves striking stone as they went over a stone bridge, and then both horses stopped and waited. They were in front of a big wooden gate. Inside, Legolas heard as one of the guards gave up a joyed shout and called for the gate to be opened. They waited as the gate creaked open, and from the sound of it, it was very heavy. Then both horses went forward into the stronghold of Rohan. Once inside, the gate was closed, and the guards came over to both horses.

It was obvious that they all had about a million questions, but that both the man and the elf were tired, and both had been injured, though Legolas' arm would begin to mend soon. The men simply called for the horses to be stabled, and both members of the Fellowship swung down off of their horses. Legolas took the child and set him down on the ground, and a guard who recognized him quickly took him and then led him away to find his mother. Legolas turned to Arod and spoke quietly to him a moment in elvish as he caressed the horse's face, and the white horse affectionately blew air into the elf's face, letting him know gently that he was there and listening. Then at his master's bidding, the white horse of Rohan went quietly with Hasufel to join the other horses.

The man and the elf turned then immediately and made their way towards the main keep of Helm's Deep. Once they got farther inside however, the mass of people began to notice their presence, and they started asking questions. Almost immediately after, a very angry dwarf came towards them, berrating both of them for having been so foolish. Then however he was too relieved to be mad anymore and the Fellowship was reunited with smiles and good humor. Aragorn then asked where the king was however, and the dwarf showed them the way inside. Soon, they were face to face with Theoden.

"While riding to Helm's Deep," Aragorn said before the king could ask any questions. "I saw a great host marching for war."

"A great host, you say?" the king asked, slightly surprised but not sounding very unnerved at all.

"Saruman has made his move," Legolas said, looking up towards the sound of the king's voice.

"All of Isengard is emptied," Aragorn urged, trying to instill upon the king the fear of so vast an army.

"How many?" Theoden asked.

"Ten thousand strong at least," Aragorn said grimly.

Suddenly there was silence. No one moved, and it seemed like all the air had left the room. There was not a single soul within hearing that did not feel dread at least touch their thoughts for a moment. Ten thousand! The thought filled no one with comfort, and everyone felt like they were going to see the end of the days of Rohan.

"Ten thousand?" Theoden gasped at last in disbelief.

"It is an army bred for a single purpose," Aragorn confirmed grimly. "to destroy the world of men. They will be here by nightfall." The king turned and walked away, still confident in his defense at Helm's Deep.

"Let them come," he said.

The Fellowship shifted nervously and eyed each other, because they knew for certain that this would not end well. There was no way it could! The king quickly ordered for every able bodied man and young lad strong enough to bear arms would come to defend the keep, and the women and children, along with the elderly that could not fight were ordered into the caves. Preparations began for the battle that was to come.

Aragorn suggested calling for Gondor for aide, but the king was against it, saying that they were alone in this. And soon the tensions began to rise as the men and young men began to prepare for war. In the armory, they began to prepare for the oncoming storm. Legolas could not stand the thought of the darkness that would soon surround them, and for a moment, he was lost to his fear again. As the Fellowship looked around the armory.

"Farmers, farriers," Aragorn said. "stable boys. These are no soldiers."

"Most have seen too many winters," the dwarf noted.

"Or too few," Legolas said. "Look at them. They're frightened. I can see it in their eyes." Suddenly there was silence as every man turned to look at the elf. He turned away and continued speaking to Aragorn in elvish instead, hoping to not unnerve them more. "_And they should be. Three hundred, against ten thousand?_"

"_They have more hope defending themselves here than at Edoras,_" Aragorn replied flawlessly in elvish back to him, much to the surprise to many of the men.

"_Aragorn,_" the elf said, and he turned to look at the man. Aragorn paused when he saw the same depression and despair in his eyes that had hung over him for years. "_We are warriors. They cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!_"

"Then I will die as one of them," the man replied in the common tongue, looking at him, but not raising his voice. He could see that the elf was very shook up. Then he spoke softly in elvish. "_I think you should step outside a while._"

The elf paused a moment, and then nodded and turned and left the room. He could hear the men behind him begin to grumble nervously amongst themselves about how the he was being cruel to them when they were already frightened. But Aragorn quietly began to explain to them why it was so with the elf, though many of them already knew why. Out on the stone pathways the elf waited a moment, breathing in deeply to try and clear his head.

He felt something brush against his leg and instinctively looked down. He found the dark shape of Angrod beside him, and the wolf seemed to know that he was upset. The wolf sat down and looked up at the elf. Suddenly the Prince of Mirkwood felt very foolish, and he felt regret for his words as his despair passed. He sighed and turned, returning to the armory which was beginning to empty now. He walked through the crowd silently until he found Aragorn alone in a corner. He picked up the man's sword and held it out to him as he turned, looking for it.

"We trusted you this far," the elf said. "And you have not led us astray. Forgive me, I was wrong to despair."

"There is nothing to forgive," the man replied. They clasped each others' shoulders in an age old greeting between two warriors, smiling slightly, though there was a grim look in both of their eyes.

Gimli came in then, surprising both of them slightly. He struggled a bit, then managed to pull it over his large chest. It was far too long, and clattered to the ground. He looked up at both of them self consciously. But there was nothing more to be done, because there was little else, and they needed armor.

"It's a little tight," the dwarf told them.

Aragorn and the elf ignored the dwarf, and the man glanced out the widow. The sun was setting now. The army of Isengard would soon arrive. He glanced towards the elf and the dwarf. They were in his care now! He feared that now he would fail, when they both needed him to be strong for them the most. But there was no time to back down. They could only make do with what they had. The man turned to say something, and noticed the elf's head tilted slightly to the side, a peculiar look on his face. The dwarf noticed as well, and they were about to ask what was wrong, when suddenly their came the high blast of a pretty horn.

"That is no orc horn," he cried, joy and wonder on his face.

The elf instantly turned and leaped away, Angrod running out in front of him to lead him again. The dwarf and the man instantly leaped off after the elf, confused but ready to find out what was going on. A large crowd had gathered, and the Fellowship managed to fight their way to the front. They paused at what they saw, and Legolas froze in surprise when he recognized the voice of Haldir.

"We come to honor that allegiance," the elf said, looking towards the prince of Mirkwood as they ran up in time to see an amazed Theoden and caught the end of the conversation. Aragorn instantly leaped forward with a smile and embraced the elf, who returned the embrace somewhat awkwardly.

"You are most welcome," the man cried.

Legolas couldn't help but leap forward and clasp shoulders with his friend, who smiled brightly and returned the gesture. Legolas felt glad to know that his words had not ended their friendship. They smiled to one another, and the men were even more surprised, for many had never seen the elf prince smile. Legolas stepped back, turning towards the still perplexed Theoden, but proud to stand with his people again, and the group of soldiers that they had brought from Lothlorien, who stood in perfect formation still, awaiting orders.

"We are proud to fight along side men," Haldir said as he turned to Theoden. Then he smirked a little and added. "and a very stubborn elf prince once more." For a moment there was silence, until the men suddenly realized who Haldir was talking about, and then they were even more surprised.

"I am stubborn?" Legolas asked, glancing in his direction. "You are one to talk."

"Come with me Legolas," Haldir said with a smile. "Aragorn you as well, and Gimli. We must speak now."

He ordered his warriors, of which there were men and women, to go and relax a while, to wait for the battle. Then he motioned for the others to follow him. Angrod nudged Legolas, and the elf turned to follow him. He noticed as they walked that he was holding a package of some sort, for metal clanked inside of it. He was slightly perplexed, but he followed him nonetheless. Once they were relatively alone, Haldir stopped them and turned back to them.

"Well here we are again," he said.

"How though?" Aragorn asked, so surprised.

"Did you not know that the Lady of Lothlorien can see the future?" Haldir asked. He then smiled and looked at them. "You know that Gandalf has returned? He came to Lorien, and then went out to find all of you."

"We found him again," Aragorn replied. "and he is on an errand now for the hope of us all."

"Then he will succeed," Haldir assured him. "Now, we must be quick, for the enemy was not far behind. Aragorn, this will be your first great test in leading an army. Lady Galadriel has told me, that you are to lead our elven army in this battle, for you must be ready when the time comes."

"I will do as she instructs," Aragorn replied. Haldir nodded to him, then looked to Gimli.

"Gimli, son of Gloin," the elf said. "Long has your family hated the elves! But no longer. The Lady of the Wood has seen your growing friendship with Legolas, and she wishes to foster this relationship between the two of you. Perhaps then our two races can live in peace, and even after our passing to the undying lands, the pain will ease. You will fight along side us, and we are proud now to call you elf friend, even if you are a little unaccustomed to our ways."

Legolas thought he might refuse or make some snide remark, but the dwarf was very honored to be counted among the elf Prince's friends. He muttered something under his breath that not even Legolas could quite make out and then nodded. Haldir smiled to the dwarf, and then his eyes turned to Legolas. He looked at his blind friend a moment, and was a little surprised to see how much he had changed since he had left Lothlorien. There was fire in his spirit again.

"Legolas Greenleaf," the elf continued at last. "Long have you lived under the trees! Two thousand years. You are no longer a youngling." The dwarf was surprised to find out the elf was that old. "And your father has finally realized this. We went to Mirkwood and spoke to him, and we told him that the Lady of the Wood has foreseen that you will be a great asset in the last days to your friends, and the men of Middle Earth. Your future is still unclear, and none are sure where your path will lead you, but you will never be forgotten. Because of this, your father has granted you a gift, and he asks that you wear these. It has long been hidden within the keep of Mirkwood, and they belonged to your father. He wishes you to have them now."

Legolas suddenly froze and looked up in disbelief. Haldir only smiled a little though he knew the elf wouldn't see it and opened the cloth package that he had tucked under his arm. In it were two long leaf shaped blades, longer than the ones he usually carried and much more beautiful.

Legolas could not see them, but he knew what they were all the same. He couldn't keep the surprise off of his face as he slowly reached out and touched them. Haldir only smiled broader as he saw the elven prince looking at the blades. The Prince was speechless.

Legolas continued to stare at the precious weapons a moment more, and then he carefully reached forward and picked them up. He looked up towards the elf again, and smiled. He nodded and suddenly he felt pride in his father and his people again. He would wear these blades, and he would wear it proudly. He would not fear, because that was what these blades meant, and what it had always stood for. There was no room in his heart now for fear. It was swelled with pride. He thought of the words of the wise tree, and that it had said that he would bring Greenwood to a fair place once again. Now was his chance, and he knew he would succeed. These blades had once belonged to his grandfather, then to his father, and now to him. They were precious beyond belief.

"I will wear them proudly," the elf Prince said, his voice choked with emotion. Haldir smiled and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I know you will," the elf replied. Aragorn smiled and laid a hand on the shoulders of both elves.

"Come now," Aragorn said. "They will soon be here. Let us go to the wall and prepare. The battle over Helm's Deep will break soon, and we will need to be ready."

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**Okay, so that was a bit random. Sorry about that. But I really wanted to add a good reason for Legolas to become the badass elf he is again, and to give everyone hope. Also, because I just thought that was pretty cool and I wanted to add it in. Anyway, leave a comment below telling me what you thought of that. :D**


	15. The Battle of Helm's Deep

**Here we go again with the battle at Helm's Deep and some more awesomeness from this story! I'm adding in a little extra thing too between Oropher, Saeros, and Haldir, and I think most of you will like it, though it varies a little from the cannon. I couldn't help it though! Again, I've changed some of the order of what happened.**

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**Anyway, thanks for sticking with me this far! I love all of you for it! So please continue to enjoy and read on this chapter, because this is for you guys! I wouldn't still be writing it without all of your support. ^^**

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Legolas was standing at the edge of the wall, along with all of the other elven archers. Behind him stood Aragorn, who was waiting with a very stoic face for the army of Saruman to finish assembling in front of the wall. Gimli stood beside the elf, and though he was too short to see over the wall, he stood proudly none the less. The elf stood there with his bow resting on the ground and his hands resting on top of it, which was about level with his waist. It wasn't as large as the war bows of Lothlorien that the other elves carried, but it was powerful nonetheless. He could see the army before him, gathered and preparing to strike. Their darkness was great.

"Well lad," Gimli said to the man. "Whatever luck you live by, lets hope it lasts the night." Rain began to fall from the sky.

"Your friends are with you Aragorn," Legolas said.

"Lets hope they last the night." the dwarf grunted. The elf couldn't help but smile a little.

Suddenly below, the Uruk-Hai began to beat their shields and swords together, making an intimidating noise. The trained warriors didn't flinch, but most of the men, who were not soldiers, shuddered at the noise. Legolas could see the waves rolling across the lines of foes beneath them, and he realized that Aragorn was right. There were at least ten thousand warriors down there. The man though stepped forward grimly and began to walk the lines of elves.

"_Show them no mercy,_" he cried in elvish. "_For you will receive none!_"

The sounds of the Uruk-Hai began to grow louder and louder, and the men and elves raised their bows, waiting to fire. There was no noise as they stood there, preparing themselves for what was to come. Suddenly, from the battlements came an arrow. It struck an Uruk-Hai in the throat, and it fell screaming. The others stared at it a moment and froze.

"_Hold,_" Aragorn cried.

The Uruks grew angry and began to roar. Suddenly their command was given, and they began to run towards the deeping wall of the keep.

"_Their armor is weak at the neck,_" Legolas told the elves that could hear him in elvish. "_and beneath the arms._"

"_Fire,_" Aragorn cried.

The elves were the first to release their arrows. None of the warriors in the front of those rows even flinched, because they knew the elves behind them would have the accuracy to send them towards Uruk-Hai instead of them. Their arrows flew forward with deadly accuracy and struck the Uruks, falling several of them. The men soon followed suit, and though they weren't nearly as good shots, there were many more of them, and many more of the Uruks fell. Soon, the elves were firing at will, and the dwarf was bouncing up and down trying to see over the wall.

"Send them to me," he encouraged, much to the amusement of Legolas.

"Ladders," Aragorn cried in warning as the Uruks raised ladders to try and reach the upper wall.

Arrows from the Uruks killed several men and elves, and some of the men nearly panicked. But the cool faces of the elves and their loyalty to their king held them steady in their course. Legolas and Gimli both took ladders and began killing the Uruks who tried to come over, Gimli with his axe and Legolas with his bow. But it was no use. More and more of the Uruks began to come over the wall.

"Legolas," the dwarf took time to call to the elf. "Two here already plus-"

"I'm on seventeen," the elf cried, cutting him off. The dwarf gasped in mock horror and pushed a ladder off of the wall.

"I'll have no pointy ear outscoring me," the dwarf cried. Legolas smiled a little as the fight carried on.

"Nineteen," the elf called.

The elf continued to fight on as they were swept apart, with only a little fear for his friends in his heart. They were all powerful warriors. He continued to keep a running count of all of the Uruks he had slain, making sure that later he would boast to Gimli once again that he had killed more than him, though neither of them were really sure when this contest of theirs had started. It just kind of ended up happening. The elf soon found himself again by Aragorn as the battle continued, and his bow was still being fired as the man was fighting against Uruks on foot with his sword in his hand.

Uruks began to try and break down the door with a giant battering ram, and Aragorn called for the elves to take them out. They instantly aimed and started firing at them, but they couldn't manage to take all of them down, and they were starting to take down the door. Then however, Aragorn looked a little farther away and saw an Uruk running towards the wall with a torch in his hand. He pointed him out.

"_Bring him down Legolas,_" the man cried in elvish, panic in his voice.

The elf shot an arrow, and the creature flinched as it struck his heart, but it kept running. The elf was astonished.

"_Bring him down,_" Aragorn cried. "_Kill him!"_

The elf fired another arrow, trying to kill it. This one also buried itself into its lungs, and the Uruk nearly fell. But then it leaped towards the wall and-

The elf Prince awoke on the ground, not on the wall, half in and half out of a giant puddle of water. He couldn't remember what had happened for a moment, but then he saw the darkness of the Uruks as they poured through the wall and into Helm's Deep, and a huge hole was now allowing access. The elf wasn't sure where Aragorn or Gimli was, but the Uruks obviously thought he was dead, as some of the elves near him, because they leaped right over him. He was not dead though, thank the Valar he had been lucky! Thankfully no bones were broken, and though he was sore he was unharmed. His bow was within reach, and he could get it quickly.

He leaped up suddenly and grabbed his bow, pulling out arrows to fire once again. The startled Uruks were slaughtered for the first few moments, but they soon began to fight against him. Slowly, Legolas found himself backed up by several and up the stairs. Angrod had found him though, for they had been separated at the before the battle began so he wouldn't get in the archers' way. He leaped on several. The elf killed the last, and then heard Aragorn and Gimli. They were alright then! They seemed to need help.

The elf grabbed a shield and leaped onto it, surfing down the stairs on it and shooting arrows at Uruks below him. At the last moment he leaped off of it, and the shield impaled another in the neck and killed it. He ran over and rejoined the lines of elves who had survived the blast, and they began to kill more and more of the Uruks, though there were simply too many for them to bring down completely. Aragorn and Gimli thanked the elf and wished him luck, and then ran off on some mission of their own.

The battle was taxing on his strength, and he had run out of arrows. He was now fighting with the twin blades his father had given him, spinning in an almost dancing motion to slay as many of the Uruks as possible. He had never fought so many creatures of darkness before! His strength was failing him. Again Angrod joined the elf, and together they began to slay and destroy the Uruks. But they knew it was a losing battle, and that they would not last long. The elf fought his way back up to the wall, and heard Aragorn and Gimli below. He grabbed a rope from nearby and tossed it down.

"Aragorn," he cried.

He felt weight on the end of it, and so he began to pull up, because he could see that none of the Uruks were on it. Haldir found him then and he and Angrod protected the elf as he hoisted the man and the dwarf up over the wall at last, breathing heavily from the effort. They scrambled up onto the wall as a ladder clanged onto it and more Uruks came over it.

Huge arrows with ropes attached were thrown up as well, killing men and elves who didn't see them coming, and the Uruks began to climb up those as well. Legolas felt dread again. They were coming! How could they hope to win this? They could not. The only thing that was left now was to wait for them to come and slaughter the people of Rohan! But Theoden called for a retreat, and they all turned to follow the order.

Legolas paused however when he realized that he had lost Haldir in the confusion. He turned though he knew he couldn't see him. Angrod could however, and he could see that the marchwarden was going to be attacked from behind. The wolf leaped forward to help him, but then suddenly everyone froze.

From outside there came the cries of two Wraiths, and the Twin Wraiths suddenly came crashing through the deeping wall on their black horses. Foes and comrades alike panicked and ran from the two, and the Uruk that was going to attack the elf froze in fear. Saeros gave a command to his horse, which ran up the wall and the Wraith cut off the head of the offending Uruk. Haldir froze and looked up at the Wraith, and then he gasped. The Wraith after all was still an elf, and the Lorien elf could see the face of the Wraith. The other came up too, and he looked up at Oropher as well. But the two Wraiths looked to Legolas silently, who nodded to them. They turned and their horses galloped into the main keep with the men and elves, much to their dismay. Haldir ran to Legolas, breathless.

"That was," he gasped.

"Oropher and Saeros," the Prince confirmed. "Yes. They are rogue Wraiths, and they have been helping me for some time. Now come on, we have to retreat."

The two elves and the wolf ran in to the keep just as the great doors were being slammed shut. Legolas followed Angrod into the keep, and Haldir followed, completely confused. Soon they found the two Wraiths standing off to the side and shushing their nervous chargers. Theoden was demanding to know where they came from and why they had been let inside, and Aragorn was attempting to calm him and tell him what was going on. Legolas went straight to the king, who turned to him in utter surprise.

"You command them?" Theoden cried, meaning the Wraiths. The elf nodded.

"I do," he said. "But it is no surprise. They too were there that day when I became part Wraith. They fell to the darkness, but their loyalty will always lie with me because they are elves and they now remember that part of themselves. They will not harm you or your people. They are rogue Wraiths."

"They are the Twin Wraiths," one of the king's advisers cried. "They have terrorized these lands for years!"

"Sixty years," the elf guessed. The man fell silent at the correct assumption. "This is true. But I knew them well, and since I am part Wraith as well I can understand the black speech when they speak it. They will not harm you."

No one quite seemed to know what to think of that, though Haldir was very inclined to believe Legolas because he had just been saved from certain death by one of them, and they had obeyed Legolas and come in here. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes he wouldn't have believed it, but now he had to. But Theoden sighed brokenly.

"The fortress is taken," he said. "It is over. It matters not whether you have these strange friends. They cannot help us."

"You said this fortress will never fall while your men defend it," Aragorn said forcibly. "They still defend it! They have died defending it! Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" there was no answer so he urged again. "Is there no other way?"

"There is one passage," a man said. "It leads into the mountains, but they will not get far. The Uruk-Hai are too many."

"Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass," he said. "And barricade the door." he paused and looked towards the window. The sun was rising. It was the fifth day!

"So much death," Theoden said brokenly. "What can men do against such reckless hate?" Aragorn looked at all of them.

"Ride out with me," Aragorn said. "Ride out and meet them! All of you!" Legolas understood and nodded to the two Wraiths, who instantly swung up onto their horses.

"For death and glory," Theoden said, a gleam entering his eyes.

"For Rohan," Aragorn corrected. "And for your people."

"The sun is rising," Gimli cried triumphantly.

"Let the horn sound in the deep," Theoden said as his men went to go get the horses for those who would be riding out. "One last time."

"Yes," Gimli cried.

Instantly the dwarf ran up towards the top of the keep, where a great horn waited. The horses were brought out. Arod had been given an elvish harness earlier by the elves of Lorien, because they had heard of his bravery. The elf swung up onto the horse, preparing his blades. The others all mounted horses and waited. The horn suddenly blast through the halls and the mountain, making the people of Rohan look up in surprise and pride at the sound of the great horn blown by the dwarf. The sound of the horn brought hope to them! It was the sound of war and pride! Those not on horses were led away, and the Twin Wraiths took up a spot on either side of the Prince of Mirkwood. Then the only sound that was heard was splintering wood.

The door had broken. But the Uruk-Hai found horses waiting for them. The Wraiths led the charge, shrieking at the Uruk-Hai, who trembled at the sound. The others followed, and those Uruks that did not jump out of the way were ridden down by the chargers of Rohan. The riders began to cut down the Uruks as well as the horn blasted loudly again, calling the men of Rohan to fight again, and the men that would surely be coming with Gandalf could hear and were now running as fast as they could to answer the call of the Deep.

The elf heard as Arod surged forward and they left the main gate, running behind the king and giving out war cries as they fought onwards. Soon they were on the bridge and killing Uruks all the way down it. They rushed fearlessly out towards the scores of Uruks in front of them that had been jostling to get inside the keep. But now they paused before the riders and their angry steeds. Legolas' blades found many more of the Uruks, and they began to try and leap forward to attack the riders. But a cry came up suddenly from the Uruk-Hai, and the elf couldn't help but look.

It was such glorious light! It illuminated them, and though Legolas could sense it, it created a black silhouette to his eyes. Gandalf had returned! And from the sound of it, so had Eomer and his two thousand men. It hardly seemed like a fair battle at all. But with the new determination of the troops within the walls and the ferocity of the riders, as well as the light of the wizard combined with the darkness of the Wraiths, their will to battle broke. Terrified, the army of Saruman tried to retreat, which made it easy for those fighting for Rohan to begin picking off more and more of them.

The Uruks didn't try to fight back as they ran away, and so more and more of them fell. Though those fighting were completely exhausted, they continued to fight until the Uruks got too far away. As Legolas returned to the gates of Helm's Deep and found Gimli and Aragorn talking with Eomer, Gandalf, and Theoden, most of the Uruk-Hai lay dead on the battle field. Only around one thousand of the Uruk-Hai that came to battle that day out of the ten thousand, fell to three hundred soldiers of Rohan, a small group of elves, and the two thousand that had come with Gandalf. It was a hard earned and miraculous victory! But it was a bitter sweet one. Rohan survived to fight another day, but many elves and men had fallen. Legolas sighed as he asked quietly for Arod to stop as well. The horse quietly obeyed.

There was a silence over everyone, as if disbelief had fallen over all of them. They had won? They all turned to look at the elf as he rejoined their group, and Gandalf smiled to see the elf. Eomer's jaw turned to look at the elf, and he did not recognize Arod, because the horse had never been so well behaved or looked so grand.

"Legolas," Gandalf said with a smile to the elf. "Good to see your father has finally seen reason. These are his blades. They suit you well." The elf couldn't help but smile a little.

"Thank you Mithrandir," he replied. "I hope they do, for I must now wear them with all the pride I can muster."

"I'm sure you will," the wizard said kindly. He looked up and noticed the two Wraiths. "Though I think your two friends there are not making anyone feel comfortable." Legolas nodded and then looked at the two Wraiths.

"_Leave us for now,_" Legolas said in elvish. "_They are growing nervous._"

The two Wraiths gave commands to their horses and left quickly before anyone could get anymore nervous. Everyone watched to two of them go silently for a moment, before Eomer turned and regarded the elf silently.

"The wizard told me of your story," the man said. There was silence a moment as the elf turned his head in the direction of the man to listen carefully. "It is not an easy one to hear, and no doubt a harder one to bear. But he tells me you are strong, and I can see that now. I know a brave heart when I see one." The elf nodded, satisfied that the man wasn't very nervous of him at all.

"I pray that my heart remains as strong as it is now," the elf replied. "For the darkness that is coming now will be more powerful than any any of us have faced."

"Come," Theoden said. "There is much that needs to be done now, and rest that needs to be taken by all who have fought. Let us call the women and children out of their hiding, and let us rejoice that we have won here today. There we may share tales, but only within the relative safety of Helm's Deep."

The others were all very glad to return to Helm's Deep, and they took their still anxious beasts inside to let them rest again. Then the business began of finding the dead and wounded. The elves soon took their leave with their own bodies and wounded, with a promise from Haldir that though the elves would no longer help fight in this war, they would be there when they were needed, and that he would carry the message of their victory and the two Wraiths to Tranduil. After this, the Uruks were taken outside and thrown into massive piles, where they were burned. The dead were taken to be buried in mass graves, and the wounded were cared for. The women and children were called out, and they mourned those that they had lost and rejoiced at seeing those that had survived.

Legolas sighed. They had survived! Against every odd they had survived! But his heart was still troubled and he reached down, finding the soft head of Angrod exactly where he knew he would find it. The wolf licked his hand a little and whined. He could tell that the prince was deep in thought. The elf was worried. Saruman would certainly want his revenge, and he would look to take it soon. But they couldn't take another attack like that. Then there was Sauron. He wouldn't sit by either, and he seemed dead set on capturing the elf and bringing him within his reach as well. But he couldn't let that happen. He thought also of their missing hobbits, all four of them, and hoped that they were safe though he knew that most likely none of them were safe.

He knew that there was little chance that they would survive this war to the very bitter end, but it was a war he was more than willing to fight. If he could bring the joy back into the world then he would. Soon they would have to return to Edoras. There would be much rejoicing there, and though he was glad to have won, his heart was heavy of the thought of what would soon lie ahead, and the battles that they would have to fight. His mind unwittingly turned back to sixty years ago, when the dwarves had come and a stubborn she elf had convinced him to run after them.

"Yes," he said quietly. "We are part of this world Tauriel. I am fighting, though we may have come at last to the end of all things."

The elf wasn't sure, but he was almost convinced that he heard a voice on the wind, a sad voice, a voice that would not reach his ears. It sounded familiar, like Tauriel's, but he knew that was impossible. It couldn't be. So he turned and walked away into the halls of Helm's Deep to return to the Fellowship before the sun rose much higher.

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**So I added a little hint about the Hobbit in this one, and also I'm thinking of making another kind of more strange sequel of this one. If I do, this will help set up the story for that later. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave a comment below. :D**


	16. The Stone of Othranc

**Okay I'm back! Sorry that it took so long, but I had a lot of stuff to do this last week! OMG thanks for all your support, and thanks to weepingangel9578 for understanding about the story and that they aren't similar, because I was definitely not trying to steal your idea! I have a friend who wants to use these stories on her youtube channel, and she wants a "Hear no Evil" in the video too, to be able to call it the "Evil Series" on . If you think you'd like to give it a try, please do lol.**

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**I changed some stuff concerning the elves in this chapter, and their structure of age mostly, but not much, just so it would make sense.**

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Legolas nervously gripped at Arod's harness. He was not alone of course. Gimli sat behind him, and Aragorn was on Hasufel beside him. Shadowfax and Gandalf were just a little ahead of him. Also with them was Theoden on his horse, and about four guards who had been charged with coming with the king. And Angrod was here as well and Eomer on his horse. The others would be going back to Rohan with the Rohhirim who would be taking the people to Edoras to relax awhile and rejoice in their victory. It was no wonder why the elf was nervous now. They all were. They were going to Orthanc, the tower of Isengard. There they would have to face the white wizard in an attempt to stop further conflict. And that was no comforting thought.

They crested the top of the hill that Gandalf had lead the Rohhirim down to aide Rohan at Helm's Deep, and here, Legolas paused. Everyone else did so as well, looking up at the very thing that had caught the elf's attention. Even from so far away, the blaze of Mordor was visible, barely visible to the eyes of the men. They could see the dark clouds and the fires dancing forever within its boundaries. The elf's eyes were even more keen, and the darkness translated into the unearthly light of the wraith world to his eyes, blazing brightly and blindingly, even from this far away. The elf shuddered a moment. But it was not only anxiety he felt, but inexplicable relief. Gandalf noticed, and the white wizard turned to him.

"Legolas?" he asked. The worried tone of his voice drew the attention of every other member of the party traveling with them.

"_Do not look at it my friend,_" Aragorn suddenly cried in elvish.

"_I am fine,_" the elf assured him. "_There is nothing to fear._" Then he sighed. "I never thought I would make it this far. So many people said I would die or become a Wraith long before I ever saw the shadow of Mordor! Well now I see it. We must take every small victory that we can."

Legolas noticed suddenly that Aragorn, Gandalf, and Gimli seemed very worried about the elf. They all worried over him like mother hens now! He supposed it couldn't be helped though. The Fellowship had already proven how unwilling they were to lose him when they ran to Lothlorien to save him from the Balrog within the Mines of Moria. They were no doubt worried about him. With every step closer to Mordor, the darkness called louder and louder to him. They didn't want him to fall now, not after all of this. But the elf not only felt strength within him, but also a downright disobedience to the dark voice that called to him. He was determined to not fall, more than ever. And his will that was once as strong as a wild stallion's was now growing as strong and free as it used to be. He had no fear of the darkness any longer, because there was no room in his heart for fear. Not after all of this. He would prevail, because so many people counted on him, and because the words of the wise old tree had told him he would make Mirkwood into Great Greenwood again. And that was a hope that he could not give up. He had lived in the dark long enough.

Quietly he asked Arod to go forward, and the horse instantly heeded him, walking forward. The others followed close behind, with the elf somewhat in the lead. The elf let the white wizard pass him and go first, and they began to make their steady way towards Othranc. They didn't go quickly. There was no need. But they made a good pace towards Isengard, which was not that far away from Helm's Deep. They could reach it before sun down if they kept a good pace, and nothing stopped them.

"Sauron's wrath will be terrible," Gandalf said, bringing his attention back suddenly to the present. "His retribution swift. The battle for Helm's Deep is over. The battle for Middle Earth is about to begin. All our hopes now lie with two little hobbits, somewhere in the wilderness."

"I have yet to see these creatures you call hobbits," Eomer said. Legolas felt a small smile tug at his lips.

"They are fair folk, both not unlike elves and not unlike men," the elf replied. "They are prone to laughter and walk quieter sometimes than even elves. They're odd and usually shy creatures, but make friends easily and are very loyal to those friends they do make. Of course these are generalizations, and there are many personalities among hobbits. And unlike men, elves, or even dwarves, they are very unpredictable when roused."

"Yes," Gandalf sighed. "I have been studying them for quite some time, and they still surprise me. They're very prone to getting into trouble. Still, they are useful little creatures and strangely agile."

There was a slight silence between the Fellowship, and the men from Rohan could feel the dark mood over them. It was no wonder. They were not only worried greatly about their friends, but also about the fate of Middle Earth. They had fought valiantly, but what if it should fail? Would it mean anything at all? And the wizard was growing more and more distressed at the thought of letting four hobbits that were completely unaware of the world wander about without their companions. A single hobbit against a dragon was one thing, but four against the most powerful being in Middle Earth was another. The elf however knew that they were capable, and that worrying would get no one anywhere.

"Come now," the elf said with a smile. "Let these dark thoughts leave us for a while. We have no need for them. There will be a feast in Edoras when we return, and there will be reason to be merry. So let us not taint that with dark thoughts now."

"Darkness often comes when there is light," Theoden said, his foul mood still over him from before. The elf glanced at him.

"But light comes also through the darkness," he said.

"The darkness blinds me now," Theoden sighed. "And I can see no light."

"Because you are not looking for it," the elf replied instantly. All eyes came up to him. "When you are trapped in the darkness, it seems an eternity, and all the long years you have spent alive seem nothing compared to this. I know this well. Light can be found in even the smallest of things, but only for those who look. I have realized by now that the best way to not fall into darkness, is to enjoy the light we still have left, rather than wallow in the pity of the light we have lost." There was silence, and the blind elf's eyes instinctively turned toward the man though he could not see him. "Does this help?"

"You are very wise master elf," the king suddenly said, awe in his voice. "I had heard that your people could be so, though not one so young." the elf laughed at this.

"I must look much younger than I am," Legolas said. "Much much younger. I am not that young, and my years have shown on my face before in the hardness I was raised under in my land, and the troubled times. It was easy then to tell that I was old. But now I seem to have gained some youth, out here where I no longer care for death or fear its sting. I am no youngling Theoden, king of Rohan. The only one here older than I am is Gandalf, and not by much. I am two thousand years old, as close as I can tell, for the elves do not count the years for themselves."

"T-Two thousand years?" Eomer suddenly cried. Aragorn smiled a little.

"Yes," the man replied. "Elves age in a much different manner than do men. I was raised by elves, and none of those who have raised me look any different than they did when they first found me. Legolas has looked this age since the day he became a man, around the age of four hundred years for the elves. Then he would still be considered a youngling until the age of one thousand. Two thousand years is a very respectable age for elves, and when they are considered to become more wise."

"I believe that explains why you are so wise in the ways of elves, Aragorn," Theoden said, surprised at this bit of knowledge as well.

"An overly simplistic knowledge," the man sighed in reply. "There is much more to learn about elves than even I know, and their society is very complicated. It takes the elves themselves nearly two hundred years to learn it, when they're still considered a child. And even longer to master it."

"Maybe so," the elf replied. "but it seems natural to me, like your lives do to you."

"Come now," the wizard called. "and be alert. We must go now."

The wizard brought Shadowfax into a trot, and the others soon followed. They ran on towards Isengard, and the blind elf let Arod go forward and follow the wizard, because there was no way the blind elf could lead the horse himself. He glanced around, looking for any signs of anything that was evil and visible to his eyes, but he could see nothing. It was a great comfort to know that there was nothing nearby that could prove a threat.

The men of Rohan didn't seem to know what he was doing, but the Fellowship seemed very relieved when he would look forward again and remain silent. At last, as the miles began to melt away under them, Eomer looked up.

"Why is it that you look around?" the man asked. The elf smiled.

"Because I can see what is evil," he said. "and the agents of the enemy cannot hide from me. I see in the realm of the Wraiths, and that is my power, that I have used to help the Fellowship on their quest. I can fight, but this has been my biggest strength now."

"That seems both a blessing and a curse," Eomer noted.

"It is," Legolas replied with a smile. "But one I will gladly bear. If I can save the light that remains in the world then I will. That is why I joined this quest in the first place."

The men were once more very impressed by the elf's strength of will, and they found his perseverance very refreshing. There was so much darkness in the world that they needed all of the light that they could find in the world. The horses ran on, and even Legolas could feel the change in the air as they entered into a forest. The trees began to speak to one another, creaking quietly, and Legolas was surprised, recognizing the voices of the trees of Fangorn. They were no where near that forest! So why were the trees here? He suspected it was the work of the tree herders, the Ents, but that they would have to wait and see. The forest was making the men of Rohan nervous however.

"What is this?" Theoden asked. "There is not a forest like this here."

"I think these are the trees of Fangorn forest," Legolas said. "If I'm not mistaken. But why are they here?"

"The work of the tree herders no doubt," Gandalf said quietly, enough so that Legolas' keen ears barely heard him. "Why are they here though?"

The elf showed no indication that he had heard the wizard, and instead followed him. Soon their horses came to standing water, and their pace was slowed a little. The elf was a little surprised to find water here. It was strange, because he knew that there was nothing like this here. Still, he followed the wizard forward, knowing that he would not lead them astray.

The elf paused a moment and looked up, hearing voices on the wind. Suddenly a smile spread over his face as he thought of the two hobbits that were ahead. They thought him dead or captured by now, and he knew that it would be a glorious surprise to know that he was alright. He was more than happy to be able to hear the joy in the faces of the two halfings once again. Arod could sense his eagerness, and increased his speed a little. Everyone else looked at the elf with a little surprise, but they could see the smile on his face and weren't worried.

At last they came to a wall, and the horses were knee high now in water. Now the rest of the Fellowship looked up as well, and they began to laugh to see Merry and Pippin eating and smoking. Legolas could smell the steam of fires being put out, water, rock, and...trees? He wasn't sure, but he was too happy to be reunited with the two hobbits to care much. They were obviously happy as well because they leaped up when they saw him.

"Legolas," Merry cried.

"You're alright," Pippin added. The elf only laughed.

"As are you," the elf replied.

"Welcome my lords," Merry said, presumably with a smile. "to Isengard."

"You young rascals," Gimli cried, sounding angry again, but unable to be angry. "A merry hunt you've led us on and now we find you feasting and...smoking!"

"We are sitting on a field of victory," Pippin said, obviously eating something now. "enjoying a few well earned comforts. The salted pork is particularly good."

The elf tried his hardest not to laugh when his dwarf friend asked for some of it, unable to stay mad at the two hobbits, but his shoulders still shook a little. The dwarf ignored the elf however without even so much a single snide remark, which only served to amuse Gandalf and Aragorn more. They soon discovered that the hobbits were under the orders of an Ent named Treebeard, who they soon met as they entered Isengard. He spoke to Gandalf like they were old friends, and he seemed to take an instant liking to Legolas and a great interest in Gimli. The elf smiled up at the Ent.

"Hmm," the old booming voice of the Ent said. "I have not seen an elf in many long years, and not one so strange as you, from so far away."

"_It is an honor to meet one as wise as you,_" Legolas quickly replied in elvish with a smile to the Ent, who looked at Gimli then.

"And a dwarf riding with an elf?" the Ent asked. "It is a strange day indeed. And a dwarf deemed elf friend! Oh yes I can tell. Strange times indeed." Then he seemed done with the strange pair and turned his eyes instead to Gandalf. "I'm glad you came. Water and stone I can manage, but there is a wizard here."

They followed the old Ent forward into the ruins of Isengard, where Ents were walking everywhere. The hobbits were with them now, because the water came up to the chests of the horses. Pippin was with Gandalf, and Merry was with Aragorn. There was silence suddenly in Isengard, and Aragorn looked up.

"Show yourself," the man said quietly.

The white wizard stepped forward from the top of Isengard. Even Legolas could see him and his darkness. He thought he saw another shape behind him as well, but he wasn't sure. It was very high up, and everyone looked up as the broken wizard stepped forward.

"You have fought many wars and slain many men Theoden," Saruman said. "and made peace afterward. Can we not take council together as we once did my old friend? Can we not have peace you and I?" There was a moment of tense silence.

"We shall have peace," Theoden answered. "We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of dead soilders are avenged!" Legolas couldn't help but feel a grim satisfaction at this response. Saruman scowled at Theoden and turned to Gandalf.

"What do you want Gandalf Grayhame?" he asked. "Let me guess, the key to Othranc? Along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of five wizards!"

"Your treachery has already cost many lives," Gandalf replied, ignoring the insults. "Thousands more are now at risk. But you can save them Saruman, you were deep in the enemy's council."

"So you have come for information," the Wizard sneered. "Well I have some for you. But you know this don't you Gandalf? You know you are all going to die! Especially that elf you continue to cling to. You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows, will never be crowned king!"

"I've heard enough," Gimli suddenly cried in outrage and in defense of both his friends. "Shoot him! Stick an arrow in his gob!"

The elf's eyes however had shifted now to the water. There was something of great darkness there, something somewhat small, and it shone brightly through the water. He wasn't paying any heed to the wizard anymore. After all, he wasn't going to be bothered by the false and biased words of some broken wizard he held no power. His eyes then turned up towards Saruman again, where again he was sure he spotted someone else behind him. He couldn't see them clearly. Gandalf glanced at the elf.

"No," he counter ordered, and the elf remained still. He looked back to the wizard. "Come down Saruman and your life will be spared."

"Save your pity and mercy, I have no use for it," Saruman snarled, casting a ball of fire towards Gandalf, who deflected it easily.

"Your staff is broken Saruman," the wizard said with renewed confidence.

Then the elf noticed Grima Wormtongue, and he couldn't help but snarl a little at him. He really didn't like him. But Theoden seemed to think otherwise, and began trying to talk him down, to get him to rejoin Rohan. He was trying to give his once loyal adviser a chance of redemption. Saruman however challenged him and told him that Grima would never be free of his sorcery. Legolas could see the change slowly coming over Grima then, and he watched him even more carefully. What was that he was sensing? Such hate!

Gandalf once again tried to get Saruman to talk, and soon it appeared that the wizard would do so, as long as Gandalf called off the others so they could talk in private. No one liked that request, but they trusted the white wizard, and so they were willing to try it. But Legolas was the first to notice as Grima returned with a knife in his hand. The elf quickly pulled out his bow and notched an arrow, looking up with alarm, which soon drew the attention of all of the others.

The elf quickly released an arrow, but it was too late. Not even he had been able to act fast enough. Saruman was stabbed from behind and fell from the top of Orthranc, being impaled near the ground by one of the many strange tools having been used by the orcs. Grima fell dead as well, having been shot by the arrow. The men of Rohan looked at the elf with awe, but they didn't doubt his ability again. He had spoke true, and they could see that he didn't need his eyes to hit his mark, not even the eyes that the Wraiths had cursed him with. Gandalf sighed sadly and moved to speak to the Ents instead.

"Send word to our allies and to every corner of Middle Earth that still stands free," the wizard said. "The enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike."

"Good riddance," the dwarf said somewhat quietly behind the elf, still seeming very flustered in defense of his two friends. The elf smiled a little in amusement.

The elf's eyes had turned back to the water suddenly, and he was looking down at the darkness he could see shining brightly through the water. Pippin obviously noticed something as well, and quickly swung down into the water and ran over to get it. The elf was sure it was Pippin. He sounded too small to be anyone else, and Merry wasn't so blatantly curious. He paused a moment, looking at it, and the elf called out to him.

"Do not touch it," he said.

The hobbit instantly froze and looked up at the elf. He knew very well by now to trust the eyes of the elf, who were now watching him intently. The wizard turned as well to the hobbit and frowned a little. Then he handed something to him.

"Pick it up in that," the wizard said. "and then hand it to me. Be careful not to touch it. I know what this is."

The hobbit quickly obeyed the wizard and Legolas could hear as he carefully reached into the water and pulled out the valued tool. He handed it to the wizard, and then Gandalf pulled him back onto the horse, covering the object in another protective layer of something. The elf could still see its darkness though, and he obviously didn't like it. Some others seemed just as curious as the hobbit as to what this strange thing was, but others looked at the elf and found they didn't like it either, because they knew very well by now that they could trust him.

The Ents promised to do as Gandalf had asked them, and the wizard told everyone that they would now be leaving. The elf quietly commanded Arod to turn and follow as the wizard passed, and the horse obeyed quietly as always. The dwarf behind the elf was very quiet, and Legolas knew that he could tell that something was wrong, and obviously bothering the elf. He didn't miss it when the elf shuddered a little. The others passed the elf on his white horse. The dwarf quietly reached forward and laid his hand on the elf's arm, pulling it away quickly.

"You are as cold as ice," the dwarf said in obvious distress. He knew well what that meant. "You're not well. We need to stop, and tell Gandalf."

"No," the elf replied quietly. "I am fine mellon-nin."

"No you aren't," The dwarf said, slightly angry at the elf now. "You're going to get worse if you ignore it, and you know this." the dwarf paused a moment. "Is it because you saw Mordor? You shouldn't look at it."

"No," the elf replied. "It was because of that, well whatever it is that Gandalf has. There is so much darkness within it!"

"That doesn't explain why you're like this though," the dwarf replied. The others were pulling steadily ahead. Arod was slowing, realizing that something was wrong, and Angrod was now looking nervously up at the prince.

"There's something else there," the elf said. "A voice, and such darkness." The elf shuddered suddenly as he thought back. "It was there that day too, with the eye."

The dwarf was both confused and very disturbed by the elf's words. The elf was very sure that the darkness he had seen and the voice he had sensed belonged to Sauron, and he didn't want to get any closer to it. But suddenly memories flooded through his head, memories that he didn't want to recount. The combined weight of the memories, and the darkness that had brought them upon him, suddenly proved too much for the elf, and with a yelp he fell off of Arod.

Several things happened then. A dark voice began to whisper into the elf's ears, attempting to drag him into the darkness, and the elf snarled a little, determined to ignore it. Arod instantly froze and became very aggressive around the elf, attempting to protect him. Angrod ran to the elf and nuzzled his face, laying down beside him and trying to let his light help him, terrified he would become a Wraith again, and Gimli leaped down off of the aggressive horse. He ran to the elf and found him freezing cold and shivering again. Instantly he called for the others as the elf slipped into sleep reluctantly.

"Gandalf," the dwarf called, and the worry in his voice was missed by none. They all turned and gasped to find the elf unconscious on the ground.

"Oh no," Aragorn gasped. "Not again!"

The men of Rohan felt a little dread at the way he said that, and were unsure what to do. But it was clear to all of them that the Fellowship was now very distressed to see the elf in such a condition. Aragorn instantly leaped down off of Hasufel, only to be blocked by Arod, who was very angry for some reason. The man quickly shushed the horse and spoke to him awhile in elvish, and the horse at last stepped aside. He knelt down and began checking the elf for any signs of injury, and he was very relieved to see that the elf was faring much better than he had last time, when he had nearly fallen to the Balrog of Moria. Gandalf quickly dismounted and came over, placing his hand on the elf's brow and muttering a spell. Everyone waited breathlessly for his judgment. At last he sighed.

"His strength has not left him," the wizard announced. "He will survive this I think. Gimli, I will ask you what happened, but only once we are safe again within the walls of Edoras. It is too dangerous to remain out here for long. Come then. Our elf friend will not fall to darkness yet. I should have foreseen this though. The stone is full of much darkness."

No one paused to ask what the wizard asked, and instead turned again to go onwards, though they coudln't help but glance often back at the elf. He was put on Arod's back and Gimli joined Eomer for the ride back to Edoras. They went slowly, so the elf would not fall. But Arod was a faithful beast, and would not let the elf fall from his back. Angrod followed the white horse dutifully, whining nervously up at the elf. But he didn't fear for him much. He trusted the words of the white wizard, and he didn't doubt the strength of the Prince of Mirkwood. He knew he was strong. He only wished that he would stop trying to be so strong that he waited until he couldn't hold on any longer before he let anyone know how he was feeling.

Then again, he had always been this way. Only now, it was more dangerous than ever before that he kept it so hidden. If anything, this stubbornness of his would be the death of him.

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**Well somewhat random ending to the chapter, but I felt it was needed. I haven't been on in a while, so here I am to update again for you guys! :D I hope you enjoyed, and feel free to leave a comment below if you want to. It helps out, and lets me know what you think. Because this is for you guys as much as it's fun for me. See ya later guys! :D**


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